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.
The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave nod for hiking the compensation due to unseasonal rains by 25 per cent per acre. A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers at its meeting held here.
The court had, on March 20, sent him to judicial custody till April 3. Judge Nagpal observed that the payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore was meant for him and his other colleagues in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
The Delhi government has called an emergency meeting after the Covid cases spiked on Wednesday. A total of 300 new Covid infections in the last 24 hours were recorded in the national capital, which is a rise over Tuesday's 214 cases, as per the Delhi government health bulletin.
Asserting that the situation was likely to worsen in the coming days, Badal said the summer season had not started but the state power utility had started imposing power cuts of as much as eight hours per day even in cities.
In a video message to the farmers, he said several crops were grown on the fertile land but gradually the farmers confined themselves to paddy only. He said this has adversely affected the topography of the state in terms of excessive power consumption, depletion of water table as most of the blocks had gone in extreme dark zones, pollution due burning of stubble and others.
As a mark of protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, and to press its demand for a probe into the allegations of fraud levelled against the Adani Group, the Congress has launched 'Jai Bharat Satyagraha' across the country against the Centre. The party has set up a war room to monitor the 'Satyagraha', which will culminate in Delhi with a rally.
