The Project Allotment Committee for New and Renewable Sources of Energy has approved the allocation of major NRSE projects worth Rs. 100 crore for the State, informed Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy Sources, Punjab. He said that nine small Hydro projects of 5.55 MW total capacity which would entail an investment of Rs.60 crore, one Bio-CNG project involving Rs. 17.50 crore and one Bio-Coal Plant with an investment of Rs. 26.75 crore would be set up by the private players.Mr. Kangar said, “It is extremely heartening to see that the private companies are envisaging immense interest in the renewable energy sector. This will not just fetch investment but also increase the capacity of green power generation in the State. In addition they shall utilize rice straw for production of Bio-CNG and Bio-Coal .Above all this will help in creating jobs in the rural economy and also protect the environment .”The Hydro projects shall tap low/ultra low head sites for generation of power on the canal falls mainly on upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) branch canals apart from Sidhwan branch & Bathinda canal branch. They will be completed and commissioned in financial year 2020-21. The total installed capacity of Small / Mini Hydel projects in the State will reach to about 180 MW with installation of these projects. The project for generation of Bio-CNG from Agriculture waste including Paddy straw is to be setup by M/s. Mahindra Waste to Energy Solutions Limited, Mumbai (a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited) on Build Operate & Own (BOO) basis under State NRSE Policy-2012. This project is proposed to be setup in SAS Nagar (Mohali). The project shall be completed and setup within 15 months by the company and shall generate 6000 CUM raw biogas per day which will be purified to get about 2.5 tons Bio-CNG per day(approximately 800 ton per annum and Bio-manure 10 to12 ton per day(3300 ton per annum) . The project shall utilize 8000 ton per annum of paddy straw apart from wheat and cattle dung.The Bio-Coal Plant project based on processing of Paddy Straw will be set up at Village Mehma Sarja in Bathinda, by M/s. Neway Renewable Energy (Bathinda) Private Limited, also on Build Operate & Own (BOO) basis. The project shall produce Bio Coal (Briquettes) about 225 ton per day (75000 ton per annum) from using paddy straw about 300 ton per day (1 Lac ton per annum).