Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said the ethanol bio-refinery plant being set up by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in Odisha's Bargarh district would give momentum to green growth and sustainable development.
After inspecting the plant site, the Union Education and Skill Development Minister said the plant would provide employment opportunities to the youth of the region.
The plant would produce ethanol from straw, waste and spoiled rice. It would help in increasing the income of the farmers in the surrounding areas, including Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Balangir. Employment and self-employment opportunities would be created in the area, he said.
This indigenously developed plant would promote green fuel.
"Bargarh bio-refinery is making steady progress and is expected to be commissioned soon," Mr. Pradhan said in a tweet.
"The Bargarh 2G bio-refinery will invigorate a circular economy, give impetus to waste-to-wealth creation, boost farmers income and welfare, create large-scale employment, augment indigenous production of green fuel and lead Odisha towards prosperity and self-reliance as envisioned by PM Narendra Modi," he said.
Project cost around ₹1,607 crore
The bio-refinery will have the capacity to produce three crore litres of fuel-grade ethanol annually using rice straw as the feedstock. Ethanol produced from this plant will be blended with petrol. The cost of the project is around ₹1,607 crore.
Mr. Pradhan said Bargarh district was an agrarian region. Paddy and rice were the main source of the region’s economy. Keeping this in mind, the Modi government decided to set up the bio-refinery in the district.
Ethanol made from waste and bad rice, will reduce environmental pollution and provide economic benefits to farmers.
Mr. Pradhan also suggested to the district administration to develop technology-based new skill courses and modules in regional government ITI institutes to prepare skilled human resources for this project.
