CBG rollout under the SATAT programme ties waste-to-energy expansion with cleaner transport fuel, rural income support and a wider push to strengthen domestic energy security

India has brought 132 compressed bio-gas plants into operation across the country, together producing about 920 tonne of CBG per day, marking a steady expansion of the bioenergy segment and its role in cleaner fuel supply and waste management.

The capacity addition comes under the government’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative, launched on 1 October 2018, which aims to build a nationwide ecosystem for producing compressed bio-gas from agricultural residue, cattle dung and other organic waste. The programme positions CBG as a renewable alternative for the transport sector while addressing the problem of unmanaged waste.

Officials have said the CBG rollout delivers multiple gains. It converts farm and organic waste into clean fuel, creates additional income streams in rural areas through waste aggregation and processing, and helps lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Under the SATAT framework, oil and gas marketing companies including Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, GAIL and Indraprastha Gas have invited entrepreneurs to supply CBG for marketing and distribution.

The government also reiterated that the bio-gas push forms part of broader efforts to strengthen energy security, alongside measures such as offering new exploration and production blocks for oil, gas and coal-bed methane to boost domestic output.