Punjab aims to increase share of renewable energy up to 43 per cent: Aman Arora

Chandigarh, November 30, 2023: Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Mr Aman Arora on Thursday said that the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has aimed to increase the share of renewable energy up to 43 per cent by 2030.

While addressing the 2nd edition of Monaco Hydrogen Forum at Monaco, Aman Arora said that Punjab is a power surplus state having installed capacity of 15000 MW, out of which 20% (3000 MW) is being generated by renewable energy projects. He said that Punjab is eager to set up a 5 TPD Pilot Technology Demonstration project for producing green hydrogen from paddy straw. He said that the state is committed to lead the nation in producing green fuel to meet the future challenges, which will not only bring prosperity but will also ensure energy security for the country.

Wooing the investors to invest in the Punjab, Aman Arora said that the state is promoting and facilitating Green Hydrogen projects from Biomass by providing several key incentives to industries like 100% Electricity duty exemption during construction, No Change of land use (CLU) and External Development Charges (EDC), 100% Stamp duty exemption for Land Registration and 100% Stamp duty exemption for Land lease.

Highlighting the initiatives taken by the state government to encourage Paddy Straw based Compressed Biogas (CBG) projects, Mr. Arora said that as many as four projects of total capacity of 85 tonnes per day (TPD) of CBG are in operation, consuming about 0.28 million tons of paddy straw per annum at full capacity. He further added that six more projects are likely to be operational within next 6 months, and 28 other CBG projects are at various stages of execution, which will consume around 1.6 million tonnes of paddy straw annually once commissioned.

Aman Arora said that two leading National level Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) Gas Authority of India (GAIL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation of India (HPCL) have also signed MOUs with Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) to establish 20 CBG plants with a capacity of 10-15 TPD each. “The state has already allotted 11 Biomass based Power Projects of total capacity 100 MW which are in operation and consuming about 1.2-million-ton biomass annually”, he added.

Stating that state is predominantly an agrarian state and it has an immense potential in Biomass based fuels as over 20 million tons of paddy straw is being generated per annum, the Cabinet Minister said that the Punjab Government has devised a strategy for utilization of agri-residue as an input for fuel/energy conversion to kill two birds with one stone.