Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative

Why is in news? The number of Bio-CNG (CBG) plants set up under the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative in the State of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh

As on 30th June 2023, the number of Bio-CNG (CBG) plants set up under the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative in the State of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh.

In order to facilitate financing and access to funds to the entrepreneurs, CBG plants have been included under priority sector lending by Reserve Bank of India. State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India and Bank of Baroda etc. have launched products on financing of CBG projects.

Waste to Energy Programme, under the umbrella of the National Bioenergy Programme, inter-alia includes support to the project developers in the form of Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for setting up of Bio-CNG projects throughout the country.

About the Scheme:

'SATAT’ (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme on Compressed Biogas (CBG) was launched in 2018.

Under the SATAT scheme, entrepreneurs shall set up CBG plants, produce & supply CBG to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for sale as automotive & industrial fuels.

Aim: To produce compressed biogas (CBG) from Waste and Biomass sources like agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and sewage treatment plant waste and make CBG available in the market for use as a green fuel.

The Bio-Gas is purified to remove hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor and compressed as Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG), which has methane (CH4) content of more than 90%.

Objectives:

Utilising more than 62 million metric tonnes of waste generated every year in India,

Cutting down import dependence,

Supplementing job creation in the country, and

Reducing vehicular emissions and pollution from burning of agricultural / organic waste.

Compressed Bio-Gas:

Bio-gas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has pure methane content of over 90%.

Compressed Bio-Gas is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential.

CBG can be used as an alternative, renewable automotive fuel. Given the abundance of biomass in the country, CBG has the potential to replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years.