SAEL Industries Ltd. (SAEL), an integrated renewable energy company, announced that it is expecting to procure ~20 lakh tonnes of paddy-waste with the onset of the harvesting season this year and convert it into clean electricity through its fuel aggregator. This scale of paddy-waste procurement drive addresses the pressing concern of stubble burning and agri waste management. SAEL has a portfolio of 11 WTE plants across Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, totalling 165MW (including one Under Construction project in Rajasthan).
As per the Indian Journal of Agronomy, India produces about ~500 million tonnes of crop residue annually, out of which ~140 million tonnes remain unutilized, and ~92 million tonnes are burnt in open air, causing serious air pollution and health issues to the people in the Northern states of India. A sustainable way to convert agricultural residue into electricity is one of the preferred ways of managing this problem.
According to estimates based on the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the procurement could help avoid nearly 300,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions by curbing open-field burning of crop residue.
Laxit Awla, CEO & Executive Director, SAEL Industries Ltd. says, “Crop residue represents an underutilized opportunity – environmentally, socially, and economically. By converting agricultural waste into clean energy, we’re not only making an attempt at creating new income avenues for farmers but also attempting to tackle the issue of stubble burning. This initiative helps preserve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease dependence on fossil fuel imports, while contributing to a more resilient and sustainable energy grid. At SAEL, we are proud to be a part of this transformation– with our aim of turning substantial quantity of paddy waste into a renewable resource and contributing to sustainable innovation in India’s agri-energy sector.”
SAEL’s procurement strategy seeks to create a sustainable value chain, diverting paddy straw from incineration into use, powering clean energy plants, and improving livelihoods in farming communities. In its CY24 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Report, SAEL’s waste-to-energy operations had already achieved avoidance of 390,859.40 tonnes of CO2e emissions, underscoring the positive environmental impact of its ongoing operations.
SAEL’s Agri Waste-to-Energy operations currently provide employment to the local people across its plants and collection network, also creating livelihood opportunities for individuals. Several fuel collection centers have already been set up across villages.
