Renewable energy revolution through agriculture

(Mains GS3 : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.)

Context:

• The beginnings of a renewable energy revolution rooted in agriculture are taking shape in India with the first bio-energy plant of a private company in Sangrur district of Punjab. 
• It will produce Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) from paddy straw, thus converting agricultural waste into wealth.

Havoc to environment:

• Disposing paddy stubble and the biomass by setting it on fire to prepare fields for the next crop have become common practice among farmers in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
•  This is spread over millions of hectares with resultant clouds of smoke engulfing the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi and neighbouring States for several weeks between October to December. 
• This plays havoc with the environment and affects human and livestock health.

Government initiatives:

• The Government of India has put in place several measures and spent a lot of money in tackling the problem. 
• The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had developed a framework and action plan for the effective prevention and control of stubble burning. 
• The framework/action plan includes in-situ management, i.e., incorporation of paddy straw and stubble in the soil using heavily subsidised machinery (supported by crop residue management (CRM) Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare). 
• Ex-situ CRM efforts include the use of paddy straw for biomass power projects and co-firing in thermal power plants, and as feedstock for 2G ethanol plants, feed stock in CBG plants, fuel in industrial boilers, waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, and in packaging materials, etc.
• Additionally, measures are in place to ban stubble burning, to monitor and enforce this, and initiating awareness generation. 
• Despite these efforts, farm fires continued unabated and unless these practices are stopped, the problem will assume catastrophic proportions.

A project in place:

• For a workable solution, NITI Aayog approached FAO India in 2019 to explore converting paddy straw and stubble into energy and identify possible ex-situ uses of rice straw to complement the in-situ programme.
• In technical consultations with the public and private sectors, the FAO published its study on developing a crop residue supply chain in Punjab that can allow the collection, storage and final use of rice straw for other productive services, specifically for the production of renewable energy.
• The results suggest that to mobilise 30% of the rice straw produced in Punjab, an investment of around ₹2,201 crore ($309 million) would be needed to collect, transport and store it within a 20-day period. 
• This would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 9.7 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent and around 66,000 tonnes of PM 2.5. 
• Further, depending on market conditions, farmers can expect to earn between ₹550 and ₹1,500 per ton of rice straw sold, depending on market conditions.

An assessment:

• A techno-economic assessment of energy technologies suggested that rice straw can be cost-effective for producing CBG and pellets. 
• Pellets can be used in thermal power plants as a substitute of coal and CBG as a transport fuel. 
• With 30% of the rice straw produced in Punjab, a 5% CBG production target set by the Government of India scheme, “Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT)” can be met. 
• It could also increase local entrepreneurship, increase farmers’ income and reduce open burning of rice straw and will be an ideal example of a ‘wealth from waste’ approach and circular economy.

Other benefits:

• There are several other benefits like the slurry or fermented organic manure from the plant (CBG) will be useful as compost to replenish soils heavily depleted of organic matter, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers. 
• The plant will also provide employment opportunities to rural youth in the large value chain, from paddy harvest, collection, baling, transport and handling of biomass and in the CBG plant. 

Conclusion:

• The project appears to be a first win-win initiative in the form of environmental benefits, renewable energy, value addition to the economy, farmers’ income and sustainability. 
• This initiative is replicable and scaleable across the country and can be a game changer for the rural economy.