CM Raghubar Das and ONGC CMD Dinesh Saraf on Tuesday renewed the pledge of propelling mission to increase use of renewable energy in the State in a meeting on the Maharatna public sector firm’s plans to drill Coal Bed Methane (CBM) in Jharkhand.
Terming methane as an important source of energy, Das said that ONGC’s endeavour to obtain and use CBM in Jharkhand is an important step to realize the dream of PM Narendra Modi’s green energy.
“The CBM will be utilized in refueling the vehicles and producing thermo-electricity. It will create employment for the local youths and small industries will be established with the green energy,” the CM said.
He said that the state government will provide all possible help to ONGC in drilling CBM as the officers of the state govt. will remain in touch with ONGC officials and extend all possible help including providing required land and deploying ample security guards for drilling coal-bed methane.
The CM said that CBM is an ideal energy for power plants and it can be used as CNG in automobiles also. The C.B.M. drilled at Dhanbad & Bokaro can be utilized as fuel in Sindri Fertilizer factory. Owing to its high inflammability, it can also be utilized in cement plants, rolling mills and as fuel in refractories.
A survey conducted by MECON India ltd. reveals that a big quantity of C.B.M. can be utilized in Jharkhand itself which ultimately focuses at boosting up green energy.
The ONGC CMD told the CM that the company will drill 280 C.B.M. wells in 400 square kms area of North Karnpura, Bokaro and Jharia. These wells will start producing CBM in the next 15-20 years. It will earn the state government a royalty of Rs. 720 crore.
He said that 1.7 acre of land is required for drilling one well. Hence the company requires govt. as well as private land for its drilling plant. He said that the company will work for the uplift of local people under CSR.
Principal Secretary to the CM Sanjay Kumar, Director, ONGC Sarvashree Shashi Sekhar, AK Dwivedi, VP Mahwar, AK Srinivasan, Chief Manager Rajiv Prasad and local manager, ONGC Bokaro S.M. K. Hayat and other people were present on the occasion.