German firm VERBIO Ag solves Delhi's smog problem with patented research and EU funded pilot plant in Germany.

Problem: 

Every winter, not just Delhi but also large parts of north India are frequently enveloped in a thick blanket of smog, caused by air pollution from vehicular and industrial emissions mixing with fog. The burning of post-harvest paddy stubble in the agricultural fields of Haryana and Punjab is often cited as a major cause of this unhealthy smog. In 2013, under the Air Act, 1981, the Punjab government banned the burning of crop residue in the fields. Later, in 2015, the National Green Tribunal prohibited the burning of paddy straw while directing the government to help farmers manage the paddy straw using specialised equipment like Happy Seeder that chops paddy straw, sows wheat seeds and layers the straw as a mulch. Other machines like Rotavator, that bundle the straw into bales to be transported, were also to be procured and used.

Solution:

VERBIO Vereinigte Bioenergie AG is a bio-energy company established in 2001 started with bioethanol in 2005. Applied for patent `Method and plant for producing biogas from lignocellulose-containing biomass' in 2012 (EP2935595A2), published in 2015 and granted in 2020. Main claim- 1. A process for the production of biogas from lignocellulosic biomass, preferably from straw, which comprises the following steps:  a) mixing the lignocellulosic biomass with a  average particle size less than 200mm, preferably less than 20mm, with aqueous solutions at a temperature of 60-100 ° C, in particular from 70-85 ° C, in particular with process water and / or with the aid of steam;  b) heating the lignocellulosic biomass to 130-200 ° C,  preferably 150-180 ° C, and lingering so heated  lignocellulose-containing biomass for a period of 5-120min, preferably 10-30min, expediently in a continuously flow-through reactor space for thermal digestion  c) anaerobic fermentation of the thermally treated lignocellulosic biomass using microorganisms and recovery of the resulting biogas.

Within the framework of the EU funding programme NER300 the European Union supports the further development of VERBIO’s innovative technology to produce biomethane from 100% straw at it’s production site in Schwedt/Oder with up to EUR 22.3 million during 2014 – 2019. The funding amount is based on a fixed rate for biomethane fed into the gas grid.

The Union government is setting up the first compressed biogas (CBG) plant in north India in Lehragaga of Sangrur and it is expected to be commissioned in March next year. The CBG plant, being set up under the ‘Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (Satat), will convert straw into CNG. According to sources, the plant authorities have started collecting paddy straw to store it at the plant, as 300 tonne stubble will be used per day in the plant to produce 31 tonne CBG per day. The plant is being set up by Verbio India Pvt Ltd.