Innovative Biogas Technology from Sistema.bio gets MNRE Govt of India Approval

(Sistema.bio/The Week Magazine) - Sistema.bio's flexi biogas technology, ranging from 1 to 25 cubic meter per day, is certified under the National Biogas Programme. - The MNRE approval for Sistema.bio biogas plants will contribute to impact millions of dairy farmers with access to modern, cost-effective, and flexi biogas technology. - In India, Sistema.bio has already installed 30,000 biogas plants, and is planning to install additional 40,000 units by the end of 2023.

India, December 29, 2022: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, grants approval to Sistema.bio, India's leading biogas company for farmers, for its innovative biogas technology. Sistema.bio biodigesters are now accredited under the National Biogas Programme, which was recently launched in Delhi to encourage the use of biogas as a clean cooking fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and provides organic fertiliser for agriculture. In addition to the major impacts of biogas plants, with this move, millions of dairy farmers in India will benefit from flexi biogas technology by getting access to sanitation, women empowerment, and the creation of rural employment.

The certification was awarded to Sistema.bio following a rigorous field performance evaluation of the biogas plants conducted by Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bioenergy (SSS-NIBE), Kapurthala as per the parameters recommended by the New Biogas Projects Experts Appraisal Committee (NBPEAC) constituted by the MNRE, Govt of India.

Sistema.bio provides a prefabricated-modular biogas plant with a full suite of appliances. In the coming decades, its modern biogas plant design will provide a wide range of benefits for rural livelihood and agricultural development. Sistema.bio's biogas plants are also user-friendly and require low maintenance. Farmers can use biogas to not only meet their cooking and heating needs but also to generate electricity. One distinguishing feature of this biogas technology is that reactors can be transported and installed quickly, without the need for foundations or civil engineering work.

Mr. Piyush Sohani, Managing Director of Sistema.bio India, said, “We are delighted to receive this accreditation from the government. It's a significant step forward not only for Sistema.bio, but also for the Indian biogas industry as it will open the door for the adoption and use of modern biogas technologies in the country. In addition to providing clean cooking, biogas technology plays a pivotal role in reducing fossil fuel consumption and improving the quality of life of users. We at Sistema.bio look forward to helping more farmers benefit from our technology which can in turn make a positive contribution to the climate.”

The approved biogas technology comes in a variety of sizes including small, medium, and large flexi biogas plants, with a daily biogas output ranging from 1 to 25 cubic meters. The biodigesters are made from industrial-grade LLDPE geomembrane with a lifespan of more than ten years. These biogas plants are manufactured in the company's state-of-the-art Pune factory and meet MNRE, Govt of India standards.

Sistema.bio’s biodigesters allow smallholder farmers to increase their agricultural productivity and net income, along with enhancing the sustainability of their farms. Currently, there are over 40,000 families in India, spread across 17 states, who are producing clean and renewable energy with Sistema.bio’s digesters.

Sistema.bio India is a social enterprise that works through three axes: technology, capacity building and financing to address poverty, food security, and climate change. It manufactures and distributes very high-quality, affordable and modular hybrid reactor biodigesters that enable farmers around the world to be energy-efficient and fertilizer independent. By providing flexible repayment plans and comprehensive monitoring services, farmers can acquire and operate the biodigesters to collect and treat farm waste, resulting in clean biogas and rich biofertilizer.

With national headquarters in Pune, today we have a team of over 150 people who work with 40,000+ smallholder farmers across 17 states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Assam and Chhattisgarh. READ MORE

Excerpt from Sistema.bio: Dr. (Joyce) Cacho brings with her deep experience as an independent director. She serves as an Independent Board Director of Sunrise Banks, N.A., a regulated bank with Fintech partnerships, and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV). As a Board Director of Fortune 250 company Land O’Lakes, Inc., Dr. Cacho’s enterprise risk management expertise reflected C-suite executive experience as a former Global Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) and strategic leadership roles in multinational banking. She has diverse international experience in Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the African continent. Her track record is anchored in building strategic initiatives, and focusing on “3-capitals” sustainability, compliance, and finance governance.

As a policy advisor for the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) of the African Union Commission, Dr. Cacho contributed to including gender and youth in ag-tech/agribusiness in operationalizing the Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want strategic framework. She co-authored case studies for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) on Foreign Direct Investment in the Food Industry of Ghana, Mozambique, Tunisia, and Uganda.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Sistema.bio’s board, a company committed to solving energy challenges with truly groundbreaking technology for smallholder and large-scale farmers alike. We are aligned on the belief that energy, climate change, agribusiness and a portfolio of customers can exist to the benefit of the environment and the customer.” says Dr. Cacho. “I look forward to being a part of their growth trajectory and contributing to their portfolio approach to energy and climate change risk management by women and men farmers, and children in their communities.”

Dr. Cacho contributes to systems change as a Governance expert and Leadership Committee member of 2023 #GetOnBoard hybrid summit, How Women Lead. As board trustee, College of the Atlantic (COA), she works to support innovation in education. Service on the advisory boards of Competent Boards, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture keeps her engaged in shaping governance and innovation internationally, in both mature and emerging markets.

Named one of the most influential black corporate directors by Savoy magazine in 2021, Dr. Cacho holds a PhD in Investment Decision-making & Corporate Finance from the University of Missouri (Mizzou); a MSc in Commodity Marketing & International Trade from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech); and a BA in Economics & Computer Science from the University of Windsor. She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), a member of CFA-NY, and a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Board Leadership Fellow.

Sistema.bio currently operates in LATAM, Asia and Africa. The company is ambitiously working to drive significant impact by helping up to 25,000 farms by 2025 and mitigating 1% of Global GHG emissions by 2030. It recently announced key milestones towards achieving its goals: the inauguration of a 20,000 sq. ft. production facility in India; the closure of a 15.6M US Series B investment round; and the registration of Carbon credits programs in Mexico, Kenya, and India. READ MORE