MNRE CBG Plant Subsidy — Up to ₹10 Crore CFA via GOBARdhan & BioURJA

The pellet plant’s subsidy is counted in lakhs; the CBG (compressed bio-gas) plant’s subsidy is counted in crores — under MNRE’s Waste-to-Energy programme, capacity-linked CFA of up to ₹10 crore per project. This guide covers the subsidy math, eligibility, GOBARdhan registration and the BioURJA application steps — and most importantly, when the money actually arrives.

In brief: the route — unified registration on the GOBARdhan portal → application on BioURJA with the DPR → verification and In-Principle approval → plant construction and commissioning → performance test → CFA disbursement. The programme’s window and rates are revised in between — check BioURJA’s current notification before applying.

---

1. The subsidy math

Item	Description
Programme	The Waste-to-Energy component of MNRE’s National Bioenergy Programme
Eligible projects	Biogas/CBG/power from urban-industrial-agricultural waste
CFA	Capacity-linked — roughly ₹4 crore per 4,800 kg/day class
Maximum limit	Up to ₹10 crore per project
Payment	Back-ended — after commissioning and passing the test

Rule of the math: the CFA is also bounded by a percentage cap on capex — i.e., the more you inflate machinery costs, the more the subsidy won’t grow. Always build the project’s financial model without the subsidy, and then treat the subsidy as a bonus.

---

2. GOBARdhan unified registration

One identity number for all the country’s bio-energy projects — needed everywhere from the SATAT LOI to the subsidy:

1. Register on the gobardhan.co.in portal (Aadhaar/PAN, mobile OTP).
2. With the project’s details — entity, location, feedstock, proposed capacity — obtain the unified registration number.
3. Save the number — SATAT EOI, MNRE CFA, state benefits, everywhere this number is asked for.

---

3. Steps to apply on BioURJA

Step 1 — Portal registration: register as a project developer at biourja.mnre.gov.in.

Step 2 — Application form and DPR: upload the project’s DPR (feedstock source contracts, technology, capex breakdown, production projections), land deed/lease, GOBARdhan number and the entity’s documents.

Step 3 — Verification and In-Principle approval: MNRE/the designated agency verifies the documents and grants In-Principle approval — this is the paper needed for bank financing.

Step 4 — Construction and commissioning: build and commission the plant within the sanctioned timeline; if there are changes, they must be reported on the portal.

Step 5 — Performance test: the test proving production against the prescribed benchmark — only after passing it does the CFA disbursement process begin.

---

4. The programme window: the biggest caution

Like the pellet component, this programme too is notified financial-year by financial-year — a previous year’s sanction does not automatically carry into the next. So:

• Before applying, check BioURJA’s What’s New / notifications to confirm the programme is open in the current financial year.
• Rates, slabs and eligibility are revised — don’t tie your business plan to an old PDF’s figures; bind it to the current guidelines.
• If you hold an In-Principle approval, follow its validity terms, otherwise the approval itself can lapse.

---

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Subsidy or the SATAT LOI — which first?

Neither is a prerequisite for the other, but the practical order is the GOBARdhan number → the OMC’s LOI (purchase security) → bank financing → the subsidy application on BioURJA. With the purchase agreement in hand, both the subsidy and the loan come easier.

2. Does this subsidy apply to small biogas plants (household/farm)?

This programme is for commercial-scale projects; there may be separate schemes for household/small biogas plants (e.g., components of the National Biogas Programme) — check the eligible component for your scale on BioURJA.

3. Where is the subsidy money deposited?

Disbursement goes by the DBT route to a verified bank account/as loan adjustment — never through an agent’s hands. A ‘pay a commission and I’ll release the money’ offer is a scam.

4. Is there any additional state incentive in West Bengal?

State renewable-energy policy announcements sometimes declare incentives — see the latest in WBREDA/Power Department notifications; the rules for stacking with the central CFA differ scheme by scheme.

---

6. Beware of Fraud

🛡️ The entire CFA process runs on the BioURJA/GOBARdhan portals — registration, application, status, disbursement. ‘Subsidy filing charge’, ‘MNRE officer’s commission’, ‘guaranteed approval’ — none of these are real. If defrauded, call the 1930 helpline or complain at cybercrime.gov.in.

---

Related guides: the OMC LOI process — SATAT CBG LOI guide; land-machinery-consents — CBG Plant Cost & Compliance; for comparison, the pellet subsidy — MNRE Pellet CFA guide.