Cow dung to power cars in India without causing pollution
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After going through purification, the methane can be converted into compressed biogas, which can power a car for about 5,500km.
PHOTO: EPA
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Uttar Pradesh’s rural economy is set to get a boost as – for the first time – methane will be produced from cow dung on a large scale, producing fuel that can power vehicles over long distances, creating rural jobs and strengthening the green economy.
Experts are of the view that dung from a single cow can yield methane that is equivalent to 225 litres of petrol every year. After going through a purification process, the methane can be converted into compressed biogas (CBG), which can power a car for about 5,500km.
Uttar Pradesh’s Go-Seva-Aayog chairman Shyam Bihari Gupta said on Aug 10 that from stray bovines, the state receives an average of 5.4 million kg of dung per day.
This dung can be processed in CBG plants and used for purposes ranging from methane production to household cooking in rural areas; heating fuel for small industries; and as an organic solution in natural farming. This can potentially generate annual earnings worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.
The officer on special duty of the Go-Go-Sewa-Aayog, Dr Anurag Srivastava, added, “Methane farming can become an alternative to fossil fuels in future. The Uttar Pradesh government’s initiative in this area is promoting the concept of ‘Waste to Wealth’, which will provide effective fuel for transportation and the green economy.
“The methane produced from the dung of each bovine is a form of natural gas, which is both environmentally friendly and economical.” THE STATESMAN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
