Punjab Goes Green With New Initiatives In Clean Energy In 2022

Chandigarh : In a bid to ensure optimum utilisation of natural resources to save the environment of the state, the Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government has left no stone unturned to revolutionize the clean and green energy sector in the year of 2022.

Beginning the state’s master plan for a CBG-based rural economy, Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant was inaugurated in October, 2022 by Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann at Bhuttal Kalan village in Sangrur.

The plant has been commissioned with a foreign direct investment of approximately Rs. 220 crores by Germany’s leading bio-energy company Verbio AG. With a total capacity of 33.23 ton CBG per day, the plant is spread across an area of 20 acres, and will consume 100,000 tonnes of paddy straw.

There shall be daily production of around 600-650 Tons of Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), which can be used for organic farming. The State Government has also constituted a task force to discuss and create an enabling mechanism for off-taking of FOM generated from Compressed Biogas (CBG) projects based on agro-residue in the State.

Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has also allocated 42 additional CBG projects of total capacity 492.58 tons per day (TPD) based on paddy straw and other agro-residue to develop a lasting and sustainable solution to prevent stubble burning while also strengthening the rural economy.

These projects are expected to fetch private investment of around Rs. 1200 crore, besides generating employment opportunities for over 8000 skilled/unskilled persons.
ONE LAKH EXISTING ELECTRIC AGRICULTURE TUBE-WELLS TO BE SOLARISED

Punjab government has also decided to solarise one lakh existing electric agriculture tube-wells. This ambitious project will save around Rs.200 crore per annum on account of power subsidy, besides going a long way to save the natural resources.PEDA has already invited e-bids for selection of Solar Power Generators (SPGs) for feeder level solarisation of 25000 grid connected agriculture pumps.

Notably, Government of Punjab provides free power to 13.88 lakh farmers of the State for their grid connected tube-wells for irrigation and bears the expenditure of approx. Rs.7000 crores as subsidy being paid to PSPCL.

FIRST IN NORTH INDIA, SUPER ECBC COMPLIANT BUILDING TO COME UP IN SAS NAGAR
In a bid to promote energy conservation and showcase the energy efficiency in the buildings, Punjab Government has decided to construct a super Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) compliant building in SAS Nagar (Mohali).

The Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has allocated a dedicated land of 1500 sq.m. to PEDA for construction of the building at Sector-65, SAS Nagar to showcase the energy efficiency in the buildings.

This building will be constructed within the next 2 years for operation and it will contain all state-of-the-art technologies and this building will serve as Model Building for all the stakeholders, students & general public for awareness in the State.

300 MW CANAL TOP & FLOATING SOLAR POWER PROJECTS TO BE SET UP IN PUNJAB
With an aim at further ramping up renewable energy while utilising natural sources optimally, Punjab government has decided to install Solar Power Photovoltaic (PV) projects with a total capacity of 300 MW in Punjab.

These projects include 200 MW Canal Top Solar PV Power Projects and 100 MW Floating Solar PV Power Project on the Reservoirs and Lakes.The proposed 200 MW Canal Top Solar Project would be installed in a phased manner, under which 50 MW would be installed in the first phase, while projects of remaining capacity would be installed in subsequent phases. These projects will be executed in Build, Operate and Own (BOO) mode by PEDA.

The cost of the Canal Top Solar PV Projects is expected to be around Rs 5 crore per MW after taking in consideration of 20 per cent VGF. The 200 MW Canal Top Solar PV Projects will save at least 1000 acres of precious agricultural land, besides, generating local employment and preventing water evaporation from canals. The cost of Floating Solar PV Projects would be around Rs 4.80 crore per MW after considering 20 per cent VGF.

PLAN TO SOLARISE ALL GOVT BUILDINGS
In order to further strengthen the clean energy infrastructure in the state, the New and Renewable Energy Sources department is mulling to equip all the state government buildings with solar power.

Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Aman Arora has written a letter to Heads of all the departments to seek their consent for installing Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels on the rooftops of the office buildings under Renewable Energy Services Company (RESCO) Mode.

All the Heads have also been directed to appoint a senior officer of their departments as a Nodal Officer to coordinate with Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) to smoothen the process of solarising the building of the departments concerned.

PEDA has already installed solar PV of a total capacity of 88MW on the rooftops of various government buildings and these have been successfully generating clean and green energy.