Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 2G ethanol plant at Haryana’s Panipat refinery. Indian Oil Corporation Limited constructed the plant near the Panipat refinery at a cost of more than Rs 9 billion. Based on cutting edge indigenous technology, the project will open a new chapter in India’s waste to wealth efforts by utilising approximately 2 lakh tonnes of rice straw annually to generate approximately 3 crore litres of Ethanol.
The project will reduce greenhouse gases equivalent to approximately 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is equivalent to replacing nearly 63,000 cars on the road each year. There will be no liquid discharge from the project.
Panipat’s bio-fuel plant will also be able to dispose of the stubble without burning it. The plant’s commitment is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to increase biofuel production and usage in the country. Developing a use for agri-crop residue would empower farmers and provide an additional source of income. People involved in the operation of the plant will be directly employed by the project. Also, indirect employment will be generated in the supply chain for rice straw cutting, handling, storage, and so on.
