Centre to boost carbon credits for biogas sector

In June 2023, the government had launched a unified registration portal for ‘GOBARdhan’, which acts as a one-stop repository to assess investment and streamlining of the process of setting up biogas plants in India

New Delhi: The Centre will double down on a national programme to promote compressed biogas, a green fuel, and streamline mechanisms for carbon credits in the sector, Union minister for Jal Shakti CR Paatil has said.

(Representative Photo)

Paatil reviewed the progress of the “Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan” or GOBARdhan programme, meeting producers and key stakeholders along with representatives from multiple ministries on Thursday.

In June 2023, the government launched a unified registration portal for ‘GOBARdhan’, which acts as a one-stop repository to assess investment and streamline the process of setting up biogas plants in India.

The GOBARdhan initiative is aimed at transforming organic waste into valuable resources such as compressed biogas and organic manure to cut down the use of chemical fertilisers and blending with petrol.

The Union Budget 2023-24 announced the setting up of 500 waste-to-wealth plants, which was a boost for the GOBARdhan plan. Currently, the country has 113 compressed biogas plants, with another 667 plants in various stages of development, the review showed. Moreover, 171 plants are planned to be constructed. In 2020, the number of functional plants was only 19.

Representatives from the industry urged for a seamless carbon-credit system, which is a substantial revenue earner and requested the government to urgently establish suitable mechanisms for it, which will help achieve a net-zero economy, a statement said.

The minister said the government would examine all suggestions from the industry and ramp up the carbon credit system. The government will prepare an action plan soon, he said.

In February 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Asia’s biggest municipal solid waste-based GOBARdhan plant in Indore, aiming to generate 19,000 kg of bio-CNG gas.