World Biogas Association INDIA Congress 2024 Kicks Off with Strategic Focus on India’s Clean Energy Transition
India Positioned to Lead Global Biogas Industry with a Roadmap for Rapid Growth

New Delhi, 23 October 2024 – The World Biogas Association (WBA) hosted the first day of its two-day India Congress 2024, highlighting the country’s immense potential and ambition in the biogas sector. The event focused on crafting a framework to accelerate the biogas industry’s growth in the region, drawing global attention to bioenergy at a critical time for the industry ahead of the G20 and COP29.

The inaugural sessions of the World Biogas Association INDIA Congress 2024, entitled “Realising India’s Biogas Potential,” were followed by six other insightful sessions titled:

•  Global Biofuels Alliance: Catalysing the Clean Energy Transition;
• Financing Biogas: Incentives, Investments, and Carbon Markets;
• CEO Forum: CBG Offtake and Supply Chain;
• Biogas Sector in India: Case studies by the State Governments/Agencies/ Municipalities/ Public Private Partnerships;
• #MakingBiogasHappen Programme: Regulatory Framework and Certification to stimulate India’s Biogas Industry; and
• India’s Decentralised Community and Household Biogas Plants: Challenges and Opportunities.

Each session shed light on the ways India can harness biogas to meet its environmental and economic goals.

The first day of the Congress highlighted India’s pivotal moment in its journey toward sustainable development, showcasing biogas as a renewable energy solution to tackle climate change and promote green growth. With rapid urban expansion, India has a unique opportunity to integrate sustainable solutions to address air pollution, water scarcity, and extreme weather. The government has already demonstrated its commitment through pilot projects in states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, aiming to reduce emissions and generate green jobs. However, challenges such as distribution network limitations, pricing challenges and technological gaps. The sessions emphasised the need to overcome these barriers by improving infrastructure and enhancing technological efficiency, with both public and private sectors working together to position biogas as a key player in India’s energy future, strengthening its global leadership in sustainability.

Furthermore, the stakeholders across various sectors in the industry aim to join forces in fulfilling the commitment to creating a National Biogas Roadmap by COP30 in 2025. The roadmap will establish a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework, support capacity-building efforts, and address supply chain requirements essential for scaling biogas production in India.

“We are at a critical point where biogas holds immense potential for India’s green energy future,” said Shri Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa of India. “Biogas not only addresses our energy needs but also offers solutions for environmental challenges and employment generation. With the government’s initiatives, such as the 5,000 CBG plants under the SATAT scheme, India has the opportunity to lead globally in biogas. This is not just about transitioning to cleaner energy—it’s about creating a sustainable future for millions of our citizens.”

Charlotte Morton OBE, WBA Chief Executive commented, “As we look to the future, the importance of recycling organic waste cannot be overstated as it is both a pressing necessity and an immense economic opportunity. India is perfectly positioned to seize this chance and lead globally. With Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to supporting 5,000 Bio-CNG plants by 2030, we look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to develop a biogas roadmap for India. This will ensure the industry grows rapidly, meeting both environmental needs and creating a robust biogas sector that can also export to other countries building their own biogas capabilities.”

The two-day Congress will continue to explore global strategies to boost biogas production, such as integrating bioethanol production from sugar cane with biogas production. The event aims to de-risk investments and develop regulatory frameworks to ensure efficient waste recycling and scale biogas opportunities by 2030.

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For more information, visit india.wbacongress.org

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Manish Sachdev, manish.sachdev@mediamantra.in | 9521781998

About the World Biogas Association INDIA Congress 2024
The World Biogas Association INDIA Congress 2024, taking place on 23-24 October in New Delhi, builds on the momentum from India’s Presidency of the G20 in 2023 and focuses on scaling up the biogas industry. The Congress aims to establish a framework for rapid industry growth in collaboration with national and regional stakeholders. The 2nd edition of the congress will highlight India’s biogas potential and the government’s active involvement in supporting these initiatives.

About the World Biogas Association
Launched at COP 22 in Marrakesh in 2016, the World Biogas Association (WBA) is the global trade association for the biogas, landfill gas, and anaerobic digestion sectors. WBA is dedicated to facilitating the recycling of all organic wastes, crop residues, and cover crops through biogas technologies like anaerobic digestion. The global adoption of these technologies offers a multifaceted opportunity to produce clean and renewable energy, bioCO2, and natural fertilisers while addressing global development, public health, and economic growth issues. The mission of WBA is to accelerate global bioenergy and biogas development, contributing to climate goals, particularly by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 11% and creating up to 15 million new jobs globally.

Photo:
left to right:
V Satish Kumar, Chairman, Indian Oil; S.N. Yadav, Executive Director (CBG), GAIL Limited; Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India; Dr. Pradeep Monga, Senior Advisor and Policy Director, World Biogas Association; Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa of India & Former CEO, Government of India; Ms. Charlotte Morton OBE, Chief Executive, World Biogas Association