Pellets from bagasse: Plants to be set up in 7 sugar mills in Haryana on PPP mode
Haryana will set up bagasse pellet plants in seven cooperative sugar mills under PPP mode to supply thermal power plants, Cooperation Minister Arvind Sharma announced. He also revealed plans for a ₹150 crore ethanol plant at Panipat. Mills crushed 303.81 lakh quintals in 2024–25; the 2025–26 target is 343 lakh quintals.
In order to supply pellets made from bagasse (sugarcane residue) to thermal power plants, plants will be established in seven cooperative sugar mills of Haryana under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The Sugar Federation is set to develop a comprehensive action plan to implement this initiative.
Acting on the directions of Cooperation Minister Dr. Arvind Sharma, cooperative sugar mills will also ensure online marking on sugar bags. Each bag will carry a unique serial number, batch number, production details, and date of filling, thereby bringing more transparency into the system.
These developments were discussed during a review meeting chaired by Dr. Sharma on Wednesday with officials from the Sugar Federation and cooperative sugar mills. The meeting saw the participation of Additional Chief Secretary (Cooperation) Vijayendra Kumar, Sugar Federation MD Shakti Singh, and managing directors of various cooperative sugar mills, who presented operational and performance reports.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Dr. Sharma highlighted the ongoing reforms being implemented under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. He lauded the crushing of 303.81 lakh quintals of sugarcane during the 2024–25 season and the disbursement of ₹1,210 crore to farmers. For the upcoming 2025–26 season, the state has set a target of crushing 343 lakh quintals, with 60% of mill maintenance work already completed.
Dr. Sharma informed that cooperative sugar mills in Karnal, Gohana, Sonipat, Jind, Palwal, Meham, and Kaithal will have PPP-mode plants to produce pellets from bagasse, which will be used extensively in thermal power plants. In addition, a cooperative ethanol plant worth ₹150 crore will be established in Panipat sugar mill, with the tender process to begin shortly.
Concerned about the decreasing sugarcane cultivation area, Dr. Sharma directed mill MDs to personally reach out to farmers who have shifted away from sugarcane farming in recent years. He also called for regular training programs for mill staff and encouraged measures to reduce financial losses, including enhancing in-house power generation and exploring additional revenue streams. Going forward, tenders for cooperative sugar mills will be issued under a common set of rules.
The minister also urged department officials to collaborate with the Agriculture Department to address labour shortages faced by sugarcane growers. He emphasized the need for subsidized harvesting machines to alleviate farmers’ challenges during harvesting seasons.
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Source : Chinimandi
