PAU-Chennai firm ink pact for commercialization of paddy straw-based biogas plant

Journo Shoonya/Solution World Bureau

Ludhiana, March 29: In a big development for energy generation from waste, the Punjab Agricultural University  (PAU) has signed a pact for commercialization of paddy straw-based Biogas Plant made up of mild steel sheet (above the ground).

The varsity has signed this Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with CEID Consultants & Engineering Private Limited, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

Dr NS Bains, Director of Research, PAU and CEID Consultants & Engineering Private Limited, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on behalf of their organization. As per the agreement, the University offers non-exclusive rights to the above mentioned firm for making paddy straw-based biogas plant within India. This biogas plant will be made up of mild steel sheet (above the ground).

Dr Rajan Aggarwal, Head, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, said that paddy straw can be digested by anaerobic means for the production of biogas as a fuel for the kitchen as well as for power generation.

Giving details about the technology, Dr Sarbjit Singh Sooch, Principal Scientist, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, explained that the latest method of anaerobic digestion i.e. dry fermentation of organic wastes can be carried out, which requires little labour and produced biogas for a period of three months. The digested material so produced from such anaerobic digestion is food quality manure ready for use in fields, he added. Revealing that the life of the plant was around 15 years, he said its advantage was that the whole plant was above the ground and the vacating of the plant was very easy.

Dr Bains and Dr Ashok Kumar, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, PAU congratulated Dr Rajan Aggarwal, Head, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering for development of this technology developed by Dr Sarbjit Singh Sooch, Principal Scientist, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering.

Dr Gursahib Singh Manes, Additional Director of Research (Farm Mechanisation and Bio-energy) lauded Dr Aggarwal and his team as well as the proprietor for sharing the responsibility of disseminating this technology developed by PAU.

Dr Amarjeet Kaur, Scientist, Department of Food Science & Technology and Associate Director, Technology Marketing and IPR Cell TMIPRC, said that PAU has signed a total of 263 MoAs and commercialized 62 technologies.