Kolhapur: Greater use of modern technology and efficient utilisation of feedstock will be crucial for expanding compressed biogas (CBG) production and supporting India’s long-term renewable energy ambitions, said Atul Mulay, president of Praj Industries.
Speaking at a CBG workshop organised by Praj Industries in Kolhapur, Mulay said the Centre’s GOBARdhan initiative has set a long-term vision of achieving 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of biogas production by 2036.
The workshop was organised to familiarise sugar millers with opportunities in the CBG sector and encourage them to explore investments in green energy through CBG projects.
“Praj’s first leg of market development in CBG has started with Kolhapur, a sugar and press mud-rich region, where what was considered as waste can now be converted to wealth,” Mulay said.
He said the availability and effective utilisation of feedstock would play a major role in determining the success of CBG projects. With a large concentration of sugar mills and significant availability of press mud, Kolhapur has the potential to convert agricultural and industrial residues into energy resources that can generate value.
Mulay said India has a significant feedstock base for biogas production, but the challenge is to obtain maximum biogas output from the available raw material.
He emphasised the importance of modern technologies to increase biogas production while using the minimum possible quantity of feedstock.
According to Mulay, three stages are particularly important in the biogas production process, with proper feedstock processing forming the first critical step. Inadequate processing can affect the quality of material entering the reactor, which can in turn influence the reaction process and the quality of the biogas produced.
“Therefore, all three stages are important for efficient biogas production,” he said.
Technology, he added, has become an important factor for industries seeking to improve efficiency, maintain quality, optimise resource use and manage costs.
Praj Industries provides biogas technologies and develops solutions based on local requirements. Mulay said investors should assess the suitability and cost of a technology, existing infrastructure and its long-term impact before selecting a solution.
He said the CBG opportunity is particularly significant in sugar-producing regions such as Kolhapur, where press mud and other residues from sugar mills can be utilised as feedstock for renewable energy production.
The workshop aimed to increase awareness among sugar millers about the potential of CBG and encourage greater participation by the sugar industry in the sector.
Mulay said CBG investments should be viewed not only as an industrial opportunity but also as part of India’s wider transition towards cleaner energy.
“Together, investing in CBG is a nation-building process,” he said.
He also emphasised the need to integrate industrial development with environmental sustainability. Energy conservation, efficient water use, waste management and pollution control, he said, are important for making industrial production more sustainable.
The integration of technology, waste utilisation and renewable energy will become increasingly important as India continues to develop its CBG and broader green energy ecosystem.
