Infistar Renewables Pvt. Ltd. has entered into an exclusive joint venture with Finland-based Arciplug Oy to manufacture modular compressed biogas (CBG) plants in India, aiming to accelerate deployment of small-scale biogas projects using factory-built technology.
The joint venture, Arcistar Bioenergy Pvt. Ltd., will supply fully factory-manufactured, turnkey Modular Plug Flow CBG plants with capacities of up to 3 tonnes per day (TPD). The units will be assembled at project sites and designed to convert agricultural residues, municipal solid waste and other organic waste into compressed biogas, DNA reported.
The companies said the technology, already deployed in Europe and Asia, will be introduced in India for the first time.
According to the partners, modular plants can begin biogas production within four to five months, compared with 12 to 18 months for conventional CBG facilities. The dry anaerobic digestion technology also requires significantly less water, consumes around 30% less feedstock, and reduces energy consumption, lowering operating costs.
The system is capable of processing more than 100 types of feedstock, including press mud, paddy straw, Napier grass, municipal solid waste, cotton residue, fruit and vegetable waste, poultry litter and fish waste, making it suitable for agricultural, industrial and municipal waste management.
As part of the agreement, Infistar Renewables will establish a ₹50 crore pilot project in Gandhinagar district, Gujarat. The integrated project will cultivate Napier grass as feedstock, generate captive solar power to meet energy requirements and produce organic manure as a by-product. The compressed biogas produced will be supplied to a city gas distribution company under a 15-year offtake arrangement.
The joint venture plans to deploy around 150 Modular Plug Flow CBG systems across India over the next five years, targeting demand supported by government initiatives such as the SATAT and GOBARdhan schemes.
The companies said the project is expected to support India’s efforts to increase domestic production of renewable fuels, improve agricultural waste utilisation and strengthen rural bioenergy infrastructure.
