Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has 1,200 to 2,500 incidents of forest fires every year. To solve this problem and to strengthen the economy of the local people from forest wealth, the state government is considering the production of compressed biogas from pine leaves.
An MoU has been signed between the state government and Oil India Limited (OIL) for Compressed Biogas (CBG) production. This will help in proper disposal of eco-friendly organic waste.
Through the MoU signed, the state government and OIL will cooperate in the exploitation and development of new and renewable energy resources including CBG. Large areas of Kangra, Una, and Hamirpur districts of the state are covered with pine forests.
Recently pine leaves can be converted into CBG, a sustainable resource of energy. This will reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Production of biogas from pine can prove to be a good source of employment for people living in rural areas.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that the State Energy Department would soon send leaf samples to the HP Green Research Development Center in Bangalore to test the feasibility of producing CBG from pine husks.
After getting positive results, this will pave the way for production from sustainable energy sources in place of traditional fossil fuels and the economy of the people will also be strengthened. He said it could be used as a renewable automotive fuel.
