New Delhi: India is stepping up efforts to expand compressed biogas production and use as a cleaner alternative to natural gas, amid tightening global LNG supplies and rising import concerns, Mint reported.
Speaking at an energy conference organised by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board and Indraprastha Gas Limited, Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal said the government is working to scale up the biogas programme and bring multiple schemes under a single framework.
He said the initiative aims to reduce dependence on imported liquefied natural gas by promoting compressed biogas, which can be produced domestically from waste and biomass and blended with natural gas in city gas networks.
Mittal noted that the success seen in ethanol production and blending has encouraged the government to create a similar roadmap for compressed biogas.
India’s push comes at a time when LNG supplies have been affected, with a significant portion of imports sourced from Qatar and other West Asian countries such as United Arab Emirates and Oman.
The government had earlier launched the SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme in 2018 to promote compressed biogas production from waste, followed by the National Biogas Programme in 2021 to support clean energy needs such as cooking and small-scale power.
India currently meets around 55 per cent of its natural gas demand through domestic production, with the rest met through imports. Most of the domestic gas is used in city gas distribution for cooking and transport, leaving sectors such as fertilisers, steel and power dependent on imported fuel.
Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is on a visit to Qatar to discuss energy-related issues, as India looks to secure supplies and strengthen energy ties.
Officials said expanding compressed biogas could play a key role in improving energy security while supporting cleaner fuel adoption in the country.
