From Food Processing To CBG - Our Journey Of Innovation Continues As We Maximise Its Full Potential: CEID's Abhinav Govil

Punjab, with its abundant agricultural resources, holds immense potential for biogas development. Agricultural waste in the region is being converted into compressed biogas (CBG), which is now widely used as vehicle fuel, for cooking, and in other practical applications. CEID Consultants made a significant breakthrough in 2010 by starting CBG production using organic kinnow waste in Punjab. Originally a food processing company, CEID became the first to establish India’s first CBG bottling plant in Punjab in 2011, which continues to operate efficiently. The company is also an approved technology provider by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG).

Today, as an EPC player and developer, CEID has successfully collaborated with leading PSUs such as Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), and BPCL for CBG projects. The company is now set to build new facilities for the Government of the Maldives and the London Municipal Corporation in the UK.

With a focus on innovation and sectoral growth, CEID’s core team continues to explore ways to maximize biogas adoption across the country. In an interview with Responsible Us, Abhinav Govil, DGM-Marketing at CEID Consultants & Engineering, discusses the company’s journey, challenges, government support for CBG, and more.

Excerpts:

How can India improve the use of landfill waste for biogas production, and what challenges remain in expanding its applications?
The waste management sector is largely unorganized, and landfills are often mismanaged. The Municipal corporations are responsible for managing this waste, but the waste that ends up in landfills, such as plastic, metal, rubber, paper, glass, and tin, is often not suitable for biogas production. Instead, these materials are sent to recycling processes after segregation. Legacy waste is not useful for CBG production because most of the biodegradable waste—like kitchen waste and organic matter -- already goes into decomposition and is converted into sand. By the time we access it, it has turned into sand, and the methane has already been released into the atmosphere. For efficient CBG production, we need fresh municipal solid waste (MSW) that is collected and segregated daily.

Additionally, there are primarily two major challenges. The first is the lack of proper awareness among people and the absence of decisive action.  What we truly need is not a segregation unit, but rather a more informed and proactive approach to address these issues.

Second, municipal corporations have yet to implement an effective waste segregation mechanism and provide it to CBG plants directly with segregation. This segregation is not only pivotal for efficient CBG production but also crucial for reducing pollution, as dry waste is the main contributor to pollution while wet waste has no lower environmental impact.

What were the key execution challenges you faced in pipeline injection, and how did your R&D team help overcome them?
We have commissioned Asia’s Largest Multifeed plant with 8 TPD CBG capacity in Nadiad, Kheda, Gujarat, in 2018. The plant, which produces 8 tonnes of CNG, is a benchmark for the biogas industry and it is the first plant in India to inject gas into the pipeline.

One of the major challenges we faced was meeting the stringent compliance requirements of City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities, which include safety, security, consistency, and purity standards. To address this, CEID developed an advanced injection mechanism and purification technology. We have successfully achieved 98 per cent plus purity with zero moisture and zero hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ensuring that the gas meets the highest industry standards. Moreover, our technology allows us to inject gas at any required pressure, whether into MDPE or steel pipelines.

Also with our dedicated R&D team and in-house manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad, we have streamlined the pipeline injection process significantly. Today, we are capable of completing pipeline injection compliances within a week or, at most, two weeks.

What challenges do you face in utilising sugar industry waste for gas generation, and how are you addressing the infrastructure gaps in different areas?
We are the first in India to recognize the potential of the sugar industry as a source of raw material for gas generation. A decade ago, the waste from the sugar industry was not of any use and we identified sugar waste as an ideal raw material for gas generation. 

Today, sugar industry waste, specifically pressmud, has become one of the primary feedstocks for the CBG (Compressed Biogas) industry. A decade ago, sugar mills considered pressmud a waste byproduct and even paid workers to remove it from their premises. However, with its increasing demand in CBG plants, the value of pressmud has risen significantly over the years.

The filtration and sugar manufacturing processes vary across different sugar mills, and many use sulfur during purification. When converting sugar waste into CBG, managing sulfur effectively is crucial for maximizing gas yield. Fortunately, we have developed advanced technology that allows us to handle sulfur efficiently, ensuring optimal biogas production.

One of the biggest challenges with pressmud is its seasonal availability. Since sugar mills operate only for about 120–150 days a year, CBG plants relying on sugar waste must find ways to store pressmud for the remaining months. However, long-term storage is a challenge, as improper storage can degrade pressmud and make gas generation inefficient. To address this, CBG plant owners need well-planned infrastructure and dedicated storage facilities to preserve pressmud effectively, preventing degradation and ensuring a consistent supply for biogas production. This remains a critical infrastructure gap that must be addressed for sustainable CBG plant operations.

What are the key challenges the CBG industry is facing in government subsidies and carbon credit generation, and how do you see the industry evolving over the next two to three years?
The central government is offering significant subsidies for CBG plants, with many states providing additional subsidies to further boost the industry. These subsidies have made it easier for plant owners to invest in and scale up their operations.

Additionally, a streamlined single-window system has been established nationwide, allowing plant owners to access these subsidies efficiently. At CEID, we have successfully availed central subsidies for more than 20 plants without facing any major challenges in the process.

However, there is currently no Indian platform for listing or registering CBG plants for carbon credits. If plant owners opt for international platforms to generate carbon credits, the audit and consultation fees are quite high. We are eagerly awaiting the launch of an Indian platform, as the government has already announced plans for this, and we expect it to be available within the next financial year.

Additionally, in the last budget, the government emphasized the expansion of pipeline infrastructure to connect households with piped natural gas (PNG). This initiative is progressing at a good pace, ensuring that CBG can be distributed through retail outlets, households, and industries. As the industry evolves, we foresee the production of LNG and hydrogen from CBG, marking a significant step toward a sustainable energy future.

How is the growth of the CBG industry influenced by government infrastructural support? What is the current market acceptance of CBG, and how is the government working on it?
Over the past decade, the Indian government has made significant strides in supporting CBG and CNG infrastructure. Today, there are approximately 7,300+ CNG stations across the country, compared to around 700 stations a decade ago, demonstrating a remarkable expansion.

Today, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has divided all the districts into almost 45+ CGD entities, each responsible for developing pipeline infrastructure in their designated areas. These entities are tasked with laying down pipelines, ensuring gas off-take, and connecting CNG stations while also supplying household PNG (Piped Natural Gas). This structured approach has significantly boosted the supply chain for CBG and CNG.

In terms of market acceptance, CNG vehicle sales have witnessed a 20% increase compared to petrol, diesel, and even electric vehicles (EVs). This shift highlights growing consumer confidence in CNG as a cleaner and more cost-effective alternative.

With the government actively promoting cleaner fuel alternatives and expanding pipeline infrastructure, CBG is gaining strong traction. The push for home-to-home PNG connectivity, increased CNG station penetration, and advancements in CBG production are positioning India as a key player in the global green energy transition.

What strategies have enabled your company to lead the CBG sector in India with 75 projects and partnerships with entities like Gail and Indian Oil, despite the challenges posed by inexperienced consultants and infrastructure limitations?
We are currently working on around 75 CBG plants, out of which 33 are fully commissioned. We stand out as the only company in the CBG sector in India with a 10% equity stake held by GAIL. Additionally, we are actively working with Indian Oil, BPCL, IGL, and other PSUs to develop waste-to-energy CBG plants, further strengthening our leadership in the sector.

For us, it is encouraging to see that the CBG sector is now gaining traction, with an increasing number of consultants entering the market and promoting the technology. However, when we started, the scenario was entirely different. There was widespread skepticism about whether biogas could be effectively produced from waste at a commercial scale. At that time, very few believed in our vision, and we had to put in significant effort to prove the viability of CBG as a sustainable energy source.

Today, we are glad to see many consultants and industry players working on CBG and introducing diverse technologies to improve efficiency and production. This growing ecosystem is helping the sector expand rapidly, bringing innovative solutions and making CBG a critical part of India’s renewable energy landscape.

(Prince Gandhi and Mr. Deepak Prajapati are the founders of CEID Consultants and Engineering Private Limited)

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