(ET)
With an aim to tackle the problem of stubble burning, the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) is going to set up India’s first ethanol plant at Panipat, which will convert paddy straw into ethanol, a renewable fuel, said an official. An MoU has been signed between the Haryana government and IOCL for the project, which will, in addition to alleviating the ill effects of stubble burning on the environment, also add to the income of farmers in the region.
After harvesting the paddy with Combine harvester, bundles will be made of the straw with baler machines. As many as 30 collection centres would be established in Karnal and Panipat, of which 20 locations have been identified in Karnal district and 10 in Panipat, he said. Each centre will be set up around 10 to 12 km of starch, which will purchase the paddy straw from the farmers at a fixed rate.
According to the source, work on the ₹766 crore project is likely to start by the end of March this year and it is expected to become functional by August 2021. The plant at IOCL, which will be spread across 34 acres of the refinery premises, has the capacity to produce 100 kilolitres of ethanol a day from 425.5 metric tons of rice straw.
