India turns cow manure into biofuel to cut import dependence

India is turning to an unconventional but abundant resource – cow manure – in its efforts to strengthen energy security.

A Suzuki-backed initiative is converting livestock waste into compressed natural gas (CNG) capable of powering cars, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles, offering a potential way to cut fuel imports while making productive use of agricultural byproducts, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

One of the flagship projects, the Banas Suzuki Bio-CNG plant in Gujarat, processes around 88 tonnes of cattle waste each day to produce renewable CNG.

The fuel is sold for about 80 rupees ($0.93) per kilogram, making it more than 20 rupees ($0.21) cheaper than petrol in some parts of the country and an appealing option for motorists already driving CNG-powered vehicles.

The facility is operated through a partnership between Suzuki and Banas Dairy, one of Asia's largest dairy cooperatives. Farmers from 16 villages supply cattle waste to the plant and receive around one rupee per kilogram in return. The biogas produced is sufficient to power an estimated 600 to 700 vehicles daily.

The process also generates organic fertiliser from the remaining waste, which is then returned to farms for agricultural use, creating a circular production model.

The initiative comes as India seeks to diversify its energy sources amid supply concerns linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Earlier this month, India and Japan agreed on a strategic plan that includes the construction of 1,000 new biogas plants across the country. Indian authorities are also considering increasing payments to biogas producers in an effort to stimulate investment in the sector.

Suzuki views the project as more than an environmental initiative, aiming to help develop the infrastructure needed for wider CNG adoption rather than relying solely on fuel suppliers to expand production capacity.

The approach has drawn comparisons with Tesla's decision to build its own Supercharger network, a strategy widely seen as having contributed significantly to the electric vehicle maker's growth.

Despite the ambitions, expanding the model nationwide is expected to be challenging. Biogas currently accounts for only a small share of India's energy needs, and scaling up production will require substantial investment in waste collection systems, processing facilities and distribution networks.

Nevertheless, if those logistical hurdles can be overcome, an agricultural byproduct long regarded as waste could emerge as an increasingly important component of India's transport sector.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov