India’s Sacred Cows: Agents of Energy Transition
The Holiest of Sites
In the small town of Barsana, in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state, a four-hour drive south of the smog-filled capital New Delhi, lies a sacred cowshed. This is no ordinary cowshed, for it is home to a million cows, revered as incarnations of Hindu deities. But it is also a hub for biogas production, a key component in India’s energy transition away from coal.
The Most Technologically Advanced Plant
Nakul Kumar Sardana, vice-president of a biomass joint venture between India’s Adani Group and France’s TotalEnergies, is proud of his new plant at Barsana. It is the "most technologically advanced and the largest biogas facility" in India, built to be as close as possible to its raw fuel – cattle dung and harvest stubble.
Converting Waste
The region is finding a creative use for the waste produced by the cattle, which are used for their milk. Eating them is taboo for many Hindus. Stalks left behind after the rice harvest – that would otherwise be burned – join the slurry. "Farmers are traditionally burning them, creating smog and pollution," Sardana said. "In using natural waste, we are not only producing compressed biogas, but also high-quality organic fertiliser."
A Sustainable Solution
Biogas is considered a clean energy because the waste used to produce it is completely natural. "It is a sustainable solution to make wealth from waste," said Suneel Pandey of The Energy and Resources Institute. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says both China and India are leading global growth in bioenergy, seen as one solution to mitigate global heating.
Government Support
The Indian government has set itself an ambitious goal of building 5,000 biogas plants in six years. Despite generous subsidies and the introduction of a buyback guarantee, the project attracted little initial interest – until the government forced the hand of producers. From April 2025, at least 1% of liquid gas fuelling both vehicles and for domestic use must be biogas – rising to 5% by 2028.
Key Players
Billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani – both close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi – are eying lucrative public contracts. Ambani promised his Reliance group would build 55 biogas plants by the end of 2025 to convert "food producers to energy producers" and generate 30,000 jobs. His rival Adani plans to invest around US$200 million in the sector in the next three to five years.
The Potential is Huge
But the contribution of biogas to India’s transition away from heavily polluting coal – currently fuelling nearly 70% of electricity – will be relatively small. India plans to more than double the share of gas in its energy mix – from six to 15% by 2030. But the bulk of that will be liquefied natural gas (LNG), with Adani and TotalEnergies opening an LNG port on India’s eastern coast at Dhamra.
Conclusion
India’s sacred cows are being touted as agents of energy transition, and the potential is huge. With the government’s support and key players investing in the sector, biogas production is expected to grow significantly. While the contributions of biogas to India’s energy mix will be relatively small, it is a sustainable solution that can make wealth from waste and create rural jobs.
FAQs
Q: What is biogas?
A: Biogas is a type of renewable energy produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic matter, such as cattle dung and harvest stubble.
Q: What is the goal of the Indian government’s biogas project?
A: The government aims to build 5,000 biogas plants in six years to reduce its dependence on coal and promote clean energy.
Q: Who are the key players in the biogas sector in India?
A: Billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, as well as Adani Group and TotalEnergies, are major players in the sector.
Q: What is the potential of biogas in India?
A: The potential is huge, with biogas production expected to grow by 88% by 2030.