About the CBG Plant 

• The plant is located in Laltipara, Gwalior, within the largest cowshed in the region, Adarsh Gaushala, which houses over 10,000 cattle.
  • It spans over 5 acres.
  • It is India’s first self-sufficient gaushala with a modern CBG plant, where cow dung and organic waste (such as vegetable and fruit waste from mandis and households) are processed into valuable biogas.
• The project, developed at a cost of ₹31 crores, is a collaboration between Gwalior Municipal Corporation and the Indian Oil Corporation.

Working features:

• Bio CNG: The plant produces 2 tons of compressed Bio CNG daily from 100 tons of cattle dung, providing a cleaner, eco-friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
• Organic Manure: The plant also generates 10-15 tons of dry bio-manure daily, which is a valuable by-product for organic farming.
• Windrow composting: The plant incorporates windrow composting, located adjacent to the main facility, which enhances organic waste processing.

• CBG is a renewable natural gas produced from the biochemical conversion of organic waste into methane.
• It is chemically similar to CNG (compressed natural gas) and can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels in transportation, cooking, and power generation.

1. Collection of Organic Waste: Organic waste such as agricultural residue, animal dung, food waste, and municipal solid waste is collected from farms, industries, and households.
2. Anaerobic Digestion: Waste is placed in an airtight chamber, where microorganisms break it down without oxygen, producing biogas (methane, carbon dioxide, trace gases).
3. Purification: The raw biogas undergoes purification through methods like pressure swing adsorption, water scrubbing, or membrane separation to remove impurities like CO₂, H₂S, and water, leaving pure methane.
4. Compression: The purified methane is compressed to 200-250 bar pressure to form CBG, reducing volume for storage and transportation.
5. Storage and Distribution: It is stored in high-pressure cylinders or tanks and transported to fuel stations or industries for various applications.

• Reduces fossil fuel dependence.
• Mitigates landfill methane emissions.
• CBG can replace CNG, reducing pollution.
• Utilizes local organic waste.
• Creates jobs, promotes organic farming, and provides eco-friendly fertilizers.

PYQ:

[2015] With reference to bio-toilets used by the Indian Railways, consider the following statements:

1. The decomposition of human waste in the bio-toilets is initiated by a fungal inoculum.

2. Ammonia and water vapour are the only end products in this decomposition which are released into the atmosphere.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2