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As part of India's mission to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2035, structured efforts are being made to develop alternative energy resources. The Andhra Pradesh government, under Chandrababu Naidu, is taking swift steps toward this goal, according to the official statement.
With the initiative of State Minister for Human Resources, IT, and Electronics, Nara Lokesh, Reliance has signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to establish 500 Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plants with an investment of Rs 65,000 crore. As part of this initiative, the foundation stone for the first Reliance CBG plant will be laid by Minister Nara Lokesh in Kanigiri, Prakasam district. The event will be attended by Minister of Energy Gottipati Ravi Kumar, other state ministers, Reliance Industries Director PMS Prasad, RIL Mentor PVL Madhav Rao, and Reliance Bio Energy Business CEO Harindra K. Tripathi. This marks a significant milestone in the biofuel industry. An investment of Rs 65,000 crore is planned over the next five years, generating approximately 2.5 lakh direct and indirect job opportunities. A total of 500 Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plants will be established, bringing 5 lakh acres of barren land into productive use. Each plant will require 1,000 acres of land and will be set up for Rs130 crore per plant, including Rs 105 crore for plant setup and Rs 25 crore for land rejuvenation. The initiative is expected to result in an annual production of 40 million metric tons of CBG. Each plant will annually produce 7,800 metric tons of compressed bio-gas and 22,000 metric tons of high-quality fermented manure, which can help fertilize 3,000 acres of land. Reliance is establishing four integrated CBG hubs across India, with one of them in the Prakasam district. The company is setting up CBG plants in barren lands across Andhra Pradesh, including the Prakasam, Anantapur, Chittoor, and Kadapa districts. The goal is to convert 3-4 percent of barren lands into renewable energy plantations through these 500 integrated CBG plants. Reliance aims to set up integrated CBG plants by cultivating hybrid Napier grass and other energy crops on 5.5 lakh acres of barren land in Andhra Pradesh. The green fertilizer produced by these plants will be used to convert non-productive lands into fertile farmlands. This initiative will boost rural employment and economic activity in the state. India has 160 million acres of barren land across 13 categories, and climate change is causing this area to increase yearly. 50 percent of India's barren land is concentrated in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. Establishing CBG plants will lead to large-scale industrialization and GDP growth. Once all the CBG plants become operational, they will fill 9.75 lakh LCVs daily, covering 5 percent of India's fuel demand. Additionally, 110 million metric tons of organic fertilizer produced from these plants will help improve the fertility of 15 lakh acres of land. (ANI)
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