The government is on track to meet to meet its target of blending 3% compressed biogas (CBG) – with CNG and domestic piped natural gas – for the current financial year, with the blending percentage having already nearly doubled to about 2% at present, officials privy of the development told The Hindu.

They further stated that, with more CBG plants under varied stages of construction, this would provide a further fillip towards achieving the target.

India’s present consumption of natural gas for domestic PNG and CNG in transport combined is about 34-35 million metric standard cubic metre per day (MMSCMD).

“In April, CBG sales were approximately 0.66 mmscmd and about 0.63 mmscmd in May,” they stated, explaining that at the present rate of consumption they amount to nearly 2% of blending.

Following recommendations of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC), India set itself a target of blending 1% CBG – into CNG and domestic PNG – in the financial year 2025-26, 3% in FY 2026-27, 4% and 5% in the subsequent financial years respectively.

More plants coming up

According to the Petroleum Ministry’s Gobardhan portal, construction of 324 CBG/bio-CNG plants are under progress, and 1,261 plants are yet to start construction.

Majority of the projects under-construction are located in Uttar Pradesh (80), followed by Maharashtra (46), Gujarat (35) and Karnataka (25).

Two-hundred ten plants have been already commissioned.

According to Suresh N.S., Senior Research Scientist of the Strategic Initiatives Group at the Delhi-based think-tank CSTEP, recent geopolitical developments, as the conflict in West Asia, underscore the urgency of strengthening India’s domestic energy security and reducing dependence on imported fuels.

“Blending targets must be scaled up progressively to reduce imports, promote waste utilisation, mitigate methane emissions, and avoid crop residue burning,” he told The Hindu.

Underlining imperatives to help spur CBG uptake, the senior research scientist, among other things, pointed to a potential robust feedstock assurance mechanism to ensure reliable and sustainable supply of feedstocks and production-linked incentives to support operational and maintenance costs.