Netherlands firm keen to invest in Punjab's clean energy
Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 Apr, 2023 10:50 AM
handigarh, April 6 (IANS) The Netherlands-based firm NexusNovus' Managing Director Rutger De Brujin on Thursday called on Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Aman Arora and discussed end-to-end solutions for infrastructure needs in the waste, water and renewable energy sectors.
Arora said the government is committed to create a sustainable future for generations to come and it has not been leaving any stone unturned to make Punjab the leading state in production and utilisation of renewable energy.
Inviting the NexusNovus to invest in Punjab, the minister informed that Punjab is predominantly an agrarian state and over 20 million tonne paddy straw is being produced every year.
The state has huge potential for agriculture residue-based compressed biogas (CBG) projects.
Asia's largest paddy straw and other agro-residue based CBG project of the total capacity of 33.23 ton CBG daily has been operationalised in Sangrur district and 42 additional CBG plants have been allotted by Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA).
Four more projects with total capacity 52.25 TPD are likely to get operational in the next four-five months, he added.
Showing keen interest to invest in Punjab, Brujin apprised the minister that the firm has already set up an integrated solid-based management centre at the Kempegowda International Airport.
At present, the plant has been receiving about 20-25 TPD of waste, which is expected to touch about 60 tons in coming months.
The waste is being picked by e-vehicles and then mechanically sorted into recyclable and organic based. Organics are being used to produce biogas, while non-degradable material is being recycled.
He claimed that no waste is being sent to the landfills and they are working with the mission to decarbonise the world through sustainable and innovative energy projects.
This comes just days after the COP26 climate summit, where India pledged to cut emissions to net zero by 2070, reduce carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030, and raise the share of renewables in the energy mix to 50 per cent, among others, before staging a last-minute climbdown opposing a commitment to "phase out" coal.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, a former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the Lakhimpur Kheri violence probe and to ensure fairness and independence in the investigation.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday junked petitions against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order, which upheld the appointment of Dinkar Gupta as Punjab Director General of Police.
Punjab has always stood against external intrusions and hence must be considered as a security case, not just as an economic case at the time of budgetary allocation, state Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said here on Tuesday. Badal made the demand during a virtual discussion with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on stepping up investment, infrastructure and growth in the country.
After a lacklustre outing in the 2017 Assembly polls, Kejriwal's AAP has rejuvenated its efforts to make a political dent in Goa for the upcoming 2022 state Assembly polls.
Addressing the gathering during a function to mark the death anniversary of former Punjab minister and Congress leader Santokh Singh Randhawa here, the Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for re-opening the Kartarpur corridor ahead of Prakash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev.
