Reliance Industries Accelerates Bioenergy Expansion

Reliance's ambitious plan includes the establishment of 100 compressed biogas (CBG) plants within the next five years, utilizing 5.5 million metric tons of agricultural residue and organic waste.

November 28, 2023. By Abha Rustagi

In a move to diversify its energy portfolio, India's largest private refiner, Reliance Industries Ltd., is aggressively expanding its presence in the bioenergy sector.

The company, known for its strategic positioning in the evolving energy landscape, recently inaugurated the first phase of its Bio-Energy Technology Centre at Jamnagar, underscoring its commitment to making India a net exporter of green energy.

Reliance's ambitious plan includes the establishment of 100 compressed biogas (CBG) plants within the next five years, utilizing 5.5 million metric tons of agricultural residue and organic waste. This initiative aims not only to mitigate nearly 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions but also to produce 2.5 million metric tons of organic manure annually.

Reliance Chairman Mukesh D. Ambani emphasized the company's responsibility in fighting the climate crisis, stating, ""Today every country and every corporate have a big responsibility to fight the climate crisis and save our planet. To make the world a better place for our future generations, we must act now and transition speedily from fossil fuels to clean, green and renewable energy. Reliance is carrying out this responsibility with multiple initiatives in new energy, including bioenergy."

Reliance's strategic transformation involves becoming a comprehensive energy conglomerate, moving beyond its traditional reliance on sales of transport fuels.

With significant investments in green energy, bioenergy, hydrogen, solar energy, and renewable fuels, the company is working towards diversifying its product portfolio. The government's support, including mandatory offtake of fermented organic manure and plans for a 5 percent CBG mandate for organizations marketing natural gas and biogas, further encourages companies venturing into bioenergy production.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Reliance aims to achieve net-zero operations by 2035 and become one of the largest users of renewable energy within India's manufacturing sector.

The company is also focusing on technological advancements, including the development of green polyolefin products and scaling up chemical recycling technology. Additionally, Reliance is setting up a fully integrated, automated giga-scale electrolyzer manufacturing facility at Jamnagar to enable large-scale green hydrogen production.

Tags:

Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG)

Green energy

Renewable energy

Solar energy