Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to Host SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference on December 1

In a bid to expedite the growth of the Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector and foster collaboration among stakeholders, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is set to organize the 'SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference: Accelerating Waste to Wealth & Circular Economy' on December 1, 2023. This collaborative effort includes partnerships with GIZ, Circular Waste Solutions, and UNIDO.

The GOBARdhan initiative, an ambitious project by the Government of India, seeks to transform waste into wealth, establishing a robust ecosystem for Biogas/Compressed Biogas (CBG)/Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plants. The primary goal is to drive sustainable economic growth and promote a circular economy, aligning with India's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, as outlined in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

Budget 2023 allocates resources for the establishment of 500 new 'waste to wealth' plants under the GOBARdhan scheme, aimed at promoting a circular economy. Among these, 200 compressed biogas plants, including 75 in urban areas, and 300 community or cluster-based plants, will receive a total investment of Rs 10,000 crore.

Cities such as Indore, Pune, Ambala, Chennai, Varanasi, Surat, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, and Hyderabad already host operational CBG plants, while Solapur, Goa, Nashik, Vijaywada, Hyderabad, and Bhopal feature Waste to Electricity plants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Waste to Energy' plant in Moshi on August 1, 2023. This plant, located in Pimpri Chinchwad, can generate 14 MW electricity per day, utilizing 700 tons per day (TPD) of dry waste.

Additionally, the largest Bio-CNG plant in Asia, situated in Indore, has been successful in converting wet waste into Bio-CNG, with a processing capacity of 550 metric TPD, producing 17,000 kg of biogas and 100 tonnes of high-quality compost daily. The Bowenpally Vegetable Market in Hyderabad is also contributing to sustainable practices, generating bioelectricity, biofuel, and biomanure from nearly 10 tons of waste daily.

The upcoming conference will be attended by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of State Urban Development/Public Health Engineering, Municipal Commissioners, and other key stakeholders.

Distinguished speakers include Mr. Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Dr. Julie Reviere, Country Director, GIZ-India, Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, and Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Key organizations and experts, including SATAT, MDA, MoPNG, MNRE, Ministry of Finance, Senior Expert Consultants from Biogas, Germany, IFGE, CBG Producer Forum, GIZ, ADB, SIDBI, and others, will participate in discussions, making it a crucial platform for knowledge exchange and collaborative efforts.

Tentative Agenda of SBM-Gobardhan Biogas Conference