Andhra Pradesh’s IT & Electronics Minister and Chairman of the Group of Ministers on Job Creation Mr. Nara Lokesh recently laid the foundation stone for the first Reliance Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant at Kanigiri in Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh set up by Reliance New Energy.
The project is being developed with a capital investment of Rs. 139 crores and is the first in a series of 500 projects involving a total capital outlay of Rs. 65,000 crores which is expected to generate employment and livelihood opportunities for approximately 2.5 lakh individuals. Reliance Industries Executive Director Mr P.M.S. Prasad, AP & TS Mentor Mr P.V.L. Madhava Rao, and Reliance Bioenergy CEO Mr Harindra K. Tripathi participated in the ground breaking ceremony alongside Minister Lokesh.
Spanning 475 acres, this state-of-the-art CBG plant is being established with an investment of Rs 139 crore and a production capacity of 100 tons.
The company is also setting up four CBG hubs across India, with one of them strategically located in Prakasam district.
As per an official release from Reliance the plant will be developed with innovative technology and utilise Napier grass that would be developed on barren and waste lands to produce biogas.
The project will result in significant livelihood to the rural economy through payment of lease revenues to the farmers, and additionally, a fixed price for the grass grown by farmers.
“We see this project as more than energy production. It will uplift communities and boost local economies.
And it will drive Andhra Pradesh’s clean energy ambitions forward. This will transform 15 lakh acres of barren land into fertile farmland, boosting farmer incomes.
This bioenergy project is a major step in that direction, and we are committed to making it a reality. Together, we will turn waste into green wealth, energy into empowerment, and land into livelihood” said Mr Prasad of Reliance.
Addressing the gathering Mr Lokesh said, “This is the first of many and we aim that Reliance would develop 500 such projects across Andhra Pradesh with a total investment of Rs. 65,000 crores.
Reliance Industries has been one of AP’s largest and most trusted investors over the past few decades and we are excited to extend this partnership into the CBG space.”
50 CBG Plants to Be Established in Kanigiri
The minister also informed that plans are in place to bring the first 100 CBG plants to Prakasam district.
If farmers provide the promised 50,000 acres of land for cultivation, 50 CBG plants will be set up in Kanigiri alone, said Mr Lokesh. He also commended MLA Mr Ugra Narasimha Reddy for his relentless efforts in ensuring job creation and preventing migration from the region.
