The bio-refinery, owned by the central government PSU, has a designed production capacity of 100 Kilo Litre (KL) Ethanol/day. When operating at full capacity, the facility will utilize 570 MT of paddy straw daily, amounting to 2,00,000 MT annually. As the commissioning of the plant is anticipated by year-end, approximately 1 Lakh MT biomass will be procured this season as feedstock.

 

So far, the plant has kickstarted biomass procurement, with the pace set to quicken in the coming days. HPCL is working closely with the State Government of Punjab, District Administration, and the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) to smoothen the procurement process. Paddy straw procurement agreements are in place with Self Help Groups (SHGs) from Bathinda and surrounding regions, resulting in the aggregation of over 23,000 MT of paddy straw to date.

 

The bio-refinery's operationalization will significantly reduce paddy straw burning in Punjab, notably in the Bathinda District. The positive impact is evident: Between 15 September to 01 November this year, Bathinda recorded 294 cases of paddy stubble burning, a considerable drop from 880 cases in 2022.