State gets 2 biomass plants

Earlier in the day,he inaugurated a 14.5 MW biomass power plant at Channu village in Muktsar district.

The minister pointed out that in our culture five natural elements— sun,wind,fire,earth and water— were known as life elements,and now his ministry has launched a campaign to draw clean energy from all these five elements to make the country power surplus.

Speaking about future plans in the new energy sector,Dr Abdullah said his ministry was targeting to produce 1,300 MW power from new energy sector within the next three years.

Sukhbir said Punjab had already produced 300 MW in the renewable power sector and was aiming to increase it to 700 MW by 2011.

The deputy CM said the Binjon biomass power plant will provide employment to over 1,500 people,besides ensuring additional income to farmers of the region to the tune of Rs 10,000 per acre through sale of biomass and agro-waste. The project will utilise 400 tonnes per day of cotton stalks,mustard stalks,paddy straw,eucalyptus,poplar wood chips and local biomass wastes,including cattle dung.

Badal added that 29 such plants would be operational all over Punjab in the next 18 months and each plant would buy agricultural waste to the tune of Rs 30 to 40 crore from farmers in the 30 km radius of plants.