In a significant step for green energy and rural development, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate India’s first cooperative-owned plant for producing compressed biogas (CBG) this Sunday.
The event will take place on October 5, 2025, at 1:30 pm at the Sanjivani University Ground in Kopargaon, located in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district. The plant has been built by the Sahakar Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, a sugar cooperative.
Alongside the biogas plant, a new Spray Dryer and a facility to make Potash Granules will also be launched. The inauguration will be followed by a large meeting for farmers and cooperative members.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be present at the ceremony. Several other state ministers and leaders will also attend.
The new biogas plant turns farm waste, like leftover sugarcane pulp and crop stalks, into a clean fuel. This fuel can be used in vehicles, industries, and homes, much like the commonly used CNG.
The Chairman of the cooperative, Vivek Bipindada Kolhe, stated that this project puts the cooperative at the forefront of sustainable and innovative rural projects. He highlighted that by converting waste into fuel, the plant will help reduce the use of traditional fossil fuels, cut down on air pollution, and create new ways for farmers to earn money from their agricultural waste.
This initiative supports the national government’s programs aimed at creating energy from waste.
The other new units, the Spray Dryer and Potash Granule facility, will use by-products from the sugar process to make useful agricultural fertilizers, ensuring that very little goes to waste.
The cooperative, which started in 1960, has grown from a simple sugar mill into a multi-faceted business. It has previously expanded into producing electricity, ethanol, medicines, and compost. This new biogas and fertilizer project continues its mission of building industries that support the rural economy.
