Petrol Min:SATAT initiative to promote Compressed Biogas as green fuel

News:Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas has informed the Lok Sabha that SATAT initiative has the potential of addressing environmental problems arising from stubble burning.

Facts:

About SATAT initiative:

• SATAT stands for Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation(SATAT).
• The initiative aims to promote Compressed Biogas as an alternative, green transport fuel.It would benefit both vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs.
• The potential for Compressed Biogas production from various sources in India is estimated at about 62 million tonnes per annum.

Features of the initiative:

• Compressed Biogas(CBG) plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.
• CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.
• The entrepreneurs would then be able to separately market the other by-products from these plants including bio-manure, carbon-dioxide to enhance returns on investment.

Significance of the initiative:There are multiple benefits from converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale which are:

• Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution 
• Additional revenue source for farmers
• Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment
• Support to national commitments in achieving climate change goals
• Reduction in import of natural gas and crude oil
• Buffer against crude oil/gas price fluctuations

Additional information:

About BioGas:

• Bio-gas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / biomass sources.
• These include agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste among others.
• After purification,it is compressed and called CBG which has pure methane content of over 95%.
• Compressed Biogas is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential.Hence,it can be used as alternative, renewable automotive fuel.