By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, December 2, 2016 : Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd [BPCL] will set up a second generation ethanol plant at Bargarh in western Odisha at an investment of Rs 900 crore.

Addressing the valedictory session of the ‘Make in Odisha’ conclave here on Friday, union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the plant will use agricultural waste to produce energy.

“Produces such as straw — that are usually fed to cattle, used to cultivate mushroom or thrown away — can be used to produce energy. We are planning to generate energy from agricultural waste in Odisha to give a new dimension to the economy there. Bharat Petroleum will set up a second generation ethanol plant in Bargarh district at an investment of Rs 900 crore,” the minister added.

Pradhan said he had held several rounds of talks with authorities of Paradip Port Trust (PPT), Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) and Paradip Phosphates Limited (PPL) to anchor industries around Indian Oil’s Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) in Paradip.

“IOCL is investing Rs 35,000 crore for the PCPIR project. IOCL being an anchor for the PCPIR with IFFCO and PPL as partners, the State Government should eye a large Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to boost the industry. I have already held talks with the authorities of these organisations and the Union government will extend all possible help,” he informed and called upon the state government to develop Paradip on lines of Jurong island of Singapore.

Pradhan underscored the need for a shift away from traditional mining based industries given their decreasing demand in international market and exploring alternates to create jobs for the 1.25 crore strong workforce of the state aged between 20-35 years.