Ethanol plant to address environmental issues in Pb: Harsimrat

Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today said Punjab will have a second generation bio-ethanol plant at Bathinda which will help the state check stubble burning by using the agricultural residue to produce the fuel.
"The bio-ethanol plant that will come up at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district besides addressing environmental issues will also provide better renumeration to farmers," she said in a statement here.
The plant will use 400 tonnes of agricultural residue or 1.28 lakh tonnes of biomass per day. It will have a production capacity of around 100 kilo litres of ethanol per day and 3.20 crore liters of ethanol annually, Kaur said.

This will be enough to meet 26 per cent of the state's Ethanol requirement, she said.
"Around 1200 to 1300 people will get employment through the project and the biomass supply chain management, and at least 3 lakh farmers will be benefited with extra income of more than Rs 19.20 crore per annum," the Union Minister said.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is bringing this capital intensive project to the state at a cost of Rs 600 crore, Kaur, who is also Bathinda MP, said.