The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) will be setting up 100 bio-CNG manufacturing facilities using agri-waste such as stubble through public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
The company will make an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. The first three centres will come up in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. An agreement has already been signed with four-five private investors like Reliance Group, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and technology provider.
Initially, 100 units will be set up across the country. Another agreement has been signed with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for purchase of bio-CNG from the plants at a rate of Rs 48 per kg. Each unit will have a capacity to process at least 100-300 tonne agri-waste from which one-tenth of the CNG will be produced.
The focus initially will be in Delhi and NCR. Gradually, the number of units will be increased in other parts of the country. More private companies are keen to partner in such an initiate in order to reduce their carbon print and fulfil the green commitment.