India's IGL targets 10% compressed biogas in total gas requirements
Indian city gas company Indraprastha Gas (IGL) aims to have 10% of its total gas requirements in the form of compressed biogas (CBG or bio-CNG), the company’s executive director of marketing, Rajeev Kumar, announced at the India NGV Summit held in New Delhi on July 11-12.
"That's the target we have set, that in the next two to three years, CBG should make up around 10% of our total gas requirement," he said.
The initiative aligns with the Indian government's announcement in November 2023, mandating the phased blending of CBG in compressed natural gas (CNG) and domestic piped natural gas (PNG) segments starting the fiscal year 2025-26.
Kumar mentioned that IGL is working with partners to obtain more purified and stable CBG to inject back into its pipeline network. IGL is also setting up its own CBG plants. Earlier this year, IGL signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two technology partners to establish CBG plants across four states in India.
These plants will be located in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, IGL has already empaneled two other technology partners for the same purpose. The biogas produced from these 19 plants will be integrated into IGL’s city gas distribution network.
This partnership aims to produce 0.45mn m3/day of biogas from waste, equivalent to approximately 5% of IGL's daily requirements. Kumar stated that the first plant will soon be operational in Delhi.
New Delhi-based IGL supplies natural gas as cooking and vehicular fuel, primarily in the Delhi National Capital Region. Established in 1998, the company is a joint venture between state-owned companies Gail and Bharat Petroleum, and the government of Delhi.
By embracing CBG, India aims to reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels, promote sustainable energy sources, and work towards achieving net-zero emission goals. Experts suggest that this move will not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also result in a reduction of costly imported LNG, thereby helping India save precious foreign exchange.