India's energy needs may be met by expanding compressed biogas, according to Union Minister Puri

Compressed biogas (CBG) growth will enable India to satisfy its increased energy needs from domestic sources, according to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri.

85% of India's crude oil demands and more than 50% of its needs for natural gas are met through imports.

The government has an ambitious goal to install 5,000 commercial compressed biogas (CBG) plants by 2024–2025 and create 15 million metric tonnes of CBG, which will replace other gases now used in the nation, said the union minister while speaking at the Global Conference on Compressed Biogas.

The oil minister also stated that the selling of CBG has begun at more than 100 retail locations and that 46 CBG plants have already been put into operation.

Puri stressed that the establishment of CBG projects under the auspices of the GOBARdhan (Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme will receive special attention in the Budget 2023, which will significantly accelerate India's biogas and clean energy revolution.

The establishment of 200 CBG plants and 300 community and cluster-based biogas plants will be funded with Rs 10,000 crore from this year's budget, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as reported by money control.