Centre to help set up paddy straw pellet units to arrest stubble burning

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre to help set up paddy straw pellet units to arrest stubble burning” published in The Hindu on 14^th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Environment Ministry announced a ₹50 crore scheme to incentivise industrialists and entrepreneurs to set up paddy straw pelletisation and torrefaction plants.

What is the amount of paddy straw generated?

About 27 million tonnes of paddy straw are generated in Punjab and Haryana. About 75% or 20 million tonnes is from non-basmati rice that cannot be fed to cattle because of its high silica content. About 11 million tonnes can be managed in the field and the rest is usually burnt which adds to the air pollution crisis in Delhi.

About the paddy straw pelletisation and torrefaction plants scheme

The estimated cost of setting up a regular pelletisation plant, which can process a tonne per hour, is ₹35 lakh. Under the scheme, the Centre will fund such plants to a maximum of ₹70 lakh subject to capacity.

Similarly, the cost of establishing a torrefaction plant is ₹70 lakh. Under the scheme, it is eligible for maximum funding of ₹1.4 crores.

Torrefaction is costlier but can deliver a product whose energy content is much higher and theoretically substitute for more coal in a power plant.

The Centre has underlined that this would be a “one-time only” scheme and regular pellet plants would be eligible for ₹40 crores of the overall share.

What are the advantages of the scheme?

The scheme will help convert waste to wealth and provide job opportunities to rural youth in Punjab and Haryana.

Paddy straw made into pellets or torrefied can be mixed with coal in thermal power plants. This saves coal as well as reduces carbon emissions that would otherwise have been emitted were the straw burnt in the fields.