India’s compressed biogas future hinges on tapping the power of organic by-products
Glow Green Biotech’s underused capacity: Despite being able to process 50 tonnes of animal dung daily, the Surat-based plant operates at just 2.9% capacity due to low demand for its organic by-products.
High-quality organic by-products: The plant produces 5,000 litres of liquid fermented organic manure (LFOM) and 250 kg of fermented organic manure (FOM) daily, enriched with nutrients and micronutrients to boost crop yields and reduce fertiliser dependence.
Proven impact on farm yields: Farmers using LFOM and FOM report significant yield gains, such as paddy output rising from 22-23 to 30 quintals per acre and turmeric growers cutting fertiliser costs by 50% while increasing yields.
Economic and environmental potential: Stronger markets for FOM and LFOM could help CBG plants like Glow Green run at full capacity, reducing landfill waste, replacing chemical fertilisers and producing more renewable fuel.
Key bottleneck: Farmer adoption – Limited awareness, entrenched reliance on chemical fertilisers and preference for easy-to-use products are holding back sales, prompting Glow Green to focus on outreach, demonstrations and collaborations.
In the small village of Dungra, Kamrej, Surat, a biogas plant is quietly trying to prove that waste can be turned into wealth for both farmers and the environment. Glow Green Biotech Limited is one of the few compressed biogas (CBG) plants in Gujarat that is not only producing clean fuel but is also working to put its organic by-products to good use.
A team from Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) visited the plant and met its team members — Zoheir Yusuf Lokhandwala, Rasik Kumar Jhaverbhai and farmers — who have been using its enriched fermented organic manure (FOM) and liquid fermented organic manure (LFOM). What we found was a story of potential and innovation, but also discovered a major challenge: low demand for these organic by-products.
A plant with capacity, but running low
Glow Green Biotech began operations in August 2020 with the capacity to produce 2 tonnes of CBG per day. According to the GOBARdhan portal, it can handle up to 50 tonnes of animal dung daily. But in reality, the plant is running at only about 2.9 per cent of that capacity.
This is not because of a shortage of raw material or technical problems. It is because the market for its organic manure products, FOM and LFOM, is selling in limited quantities.
At present, the plant processes about 2.74 tonnes of cow dung per day from nearby villages (bought at Rs 1,000 per tonne) and about 0.14 tonnes of vegetable waste (at Rs 3,000 per tonne). The slurry is prepared by mixing dung and water in equal parts, which is then stored in an underground tank before being fed into two digesters of 1,600 cubic metres each.
Inside these digesters, the slurry undergoes anaerobic digestion — a process where bacteria break down organic matter without oxygen, releasing biogas. The raw biogas contains hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide and water vapour, which must be removed before use.
The raw biogas is first treated in a water scrubber or iron-based media system to remove hydrogen sulphide. The gas then undergoes carbon dioxide removal through pressurised water scrubbing or pressure swing adsorption), bringing the carbon dioxide concentration below 4 per cent.
Final drying using moisture traps or desiccant dryers removes all water vapour, resulting in purified CBG that meets Bureau of Indian Standards specifications for vehicle fuel or grid injection. The purified CBG is stored in balloons, compressed to 200-250 kilogrammes (kg) per cubic metre and transported via cascades to an Indian Oil Corporation fuel outlet located 8 kilometres away.
The hidden value in by-products
The process of producing biogas also generates large quantities of digestate or the leftover slurry. At Glow Green, this digestate is separated into solid and liquid fractions. Every day, about 5,000 litres of LFOM and 250 kg of FOM are produced.
Initially, LFOM was applied directly to fields, but the results varied. Some farmers were not satisfied and many continued to rely on chemical fertilisers out of habit.
The plant responded by enriching the LFOM by increasing organic carbon to around 40 per cent, nitrogen to 4 per cent, phosphate to 3-5 per cent and adding a range of micronutrients. This value addition changed farmer perception. Crops such as sugarcane, wheat, paddy, turmeric, chillies, soya bean and vegetables showed healthier growth, better yields and in some cases, reduced dependence on chemical fertilisers.
One paddy farmer reported that his yield increased from 22-23 quintals per acre to 30 quintals after using a combination of LFOM, FOM and foliar sprays. In turmeric farming, some farmers cut their fertiliser costs by 50 per cent while increasing yields.
Despite these success stories, the adoption of enriched LFOM and FOM remains low. This is the main reason Glow Green Biotech has not scaled up gas production to full capacity.
For the plant, selling these by-products is critical to its financial health. Without steady demand, it cannot process more feedstock or run at maximum capacity.
The hesitation among farmers comes from several factors: Lack of awareness, psychological dependence on chemical fertilisers and a preference for ready-to-use, easy-to-apply products. Glow Green is now focusing on farmer outreach, demonstrations and product improvement to bridge this gap.
Numbers that matter
Glow Green sells FOM at Rs 55 per kg. LFOM is sold under two brand names, Liqvitonic at Rs 140 per litre and Glow Agri at Rs 425 per litre. Glow Agri is three times more concentrated, meaning 5 litres of it can do the work of 15 litres of Liqvitonic.
The enrichment process is detailed and precise. It begins with a laboratory analysis of LFOM, followed by the addition of 33 different types of organic matter to improve nutrient content and microbial balance. This process, which takes between 7 to 30 days, costs about Rs 25-30 per litre. The final product has a moisture content of 93-94 per cent.
The results are convincing. Farmer Sarays Patel, using 70 per cent LFOM and 30 per cent chemical fertiliser increased his yield from 28-30 quintals per bigha to 40-42 quintals, while reducing annual input costs from Rs 40,000 to Rs 25,000.
Why this matters for CBG’s future
The case of Glow Green Biotech highlights a bigger lesson for India’s CBG sector; producing gas is only half the story, the other half lies in managing and selling the by-products effectively.
If there is a strong market for FOM and LFOM, plants like Glow Green and others can run at full capacity, turning more waste into renewable fuel and high-quality organic manure. This would mean less waste going to landfill, fewer chemical fertilisers in farming and a step forward in sustainable rural development.
For now, Glow Green continues to operate at reduced capacity while working to build demand for its FOM and LFOM. The plant’s approach of focusing on FOM and LFOM enrichment, farmer training, collaboration with fertiliser companies to procure FOM and LFOM from such CBG plants for enrichment and sale and conducting field demonstrations is a step in the right direction.
The potential is clear: A circular system where waste from villages becomes fuel for vehicles and food for the soil. What is needed is stronger policy support, better marketing networks and farmer confidence in organic solutions. If these gaps are addressed, plants like Glow Green could help transform India’s waste into a resource, making farming more sustainable and the air a little cleaner.