Reliance breaks ground on first of 500 compressed bio-gas plants in Andhra Pradesh with Rs 65,000 crore investment

Kanigiri (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 2 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh IT and Electronics Minister, Chairman of the Group of Ministers on job creation Nara Lokesh laid the foundation stone of the first Reliance Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plant at Kanigiri in Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
The project, which involves a capital investment of Rs 139 crore, is the first in a series of 500 projects for Andhra Pradesh, with a total capital outlay of Rs 65,000 crores.
As per a statement from Reliance, the plant will be developed with innovative technology and utilise Napier grass that would be developed on barren and waste lands to produce bio-gas.
Reliance has embarked on a journey to establish integrated CBG hubs across Andhra Pradesh.
Reliance said in the statement that around 500,000 acres of barren and waste lands in Prakasam, Anantapur, Chittoor, and Kadapa would be used for this purpose.
Once all the plants are fully operational, they will produce 40 lakh tonne of green, clean CBG and 1.1 million metric tonnes of organic fertiliser annually.
Reliance said that this initiative is expected to create 250,000 jobs for rural youth.
Reliance Executive Director P M S Prasad said, "We see this project as more than energy production. It will uplift communities and boost local economies. And it will drive Andhra Pradesh's clean energy ambitions forward."
"Together, we will turn waste into green wealth, energy into empowerment, and land into livelihood," Prasad added.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Nara Lokesh said, "I am delighted that we have been able to provide requisite support in record time and enable Reliance to break ground on this transformational CBG project at Prakasam district."
"This is the first of many and we aim that Reliance would develop 500 such projects across Andhra Pradesh with a total investment of Rs. 65,000 crores. Reliance Industries has been one of AP's largest and most trusted investors over the past few decades and we are excited to extend this partnership into the CBG space," the Andhra Pradesh minister added, as per the statement. (ANI)