CBG buyer decision guide
How to Select Feedstock for a CBG Plant in India
There is no universally best CBG feedstock. The right portfolio is the one your plant can source, prepare and digest consistently at an acceptable delivered cost. Screen alternatives with a common evidence model, then validate the preferred blend through local supply pilots, laboratory work and controlled plant operation.
7 factors
Supply, quality, logistics, storage, preprocessing, biology and commercial risk.
Best fit
Developers, plant heads and procurement teams comparing a primary feedstock and qualified alternates.
Watch closely
Choosing on theoretical gas yield or gate price while ignoring recoverability, water freight, preprocessing and downtime.
Ask the supplier
Which claims are supported by measured local deliveries, representative tests and repeatable monthly capacity?
Screen commercial supply before theoretical potential
A feedstock that performs in a laboratory can still fail commercially if it is dispersed, seasonal, already committed or expensive to move. Start with a conservative delivered-supply case.
- Map source concentration, recoverable surplus, competing use and monthly availability.
- Calculate delivered cost per accepted tonne and, where data allows, per usable solids or actual gas contribution.
- Test route capacity, unloading and storage during the real procurement season.
Match physical characteristics to plant design
Dry fibrous residues, wet industrial by-products, dung and cultivated grass impose different receiving, preparation and storage requirements. A plant designed around one category may need material changes for another.
- Review particle size, pumpability, dilution, mixing and contaminant-removal needs.
- Include preprocessing energy, wear parts, rejects and labour in the comparison.
- Check storage footprint, fire exposure, runoff and preservation requirements.
Approve a portfolio, not an untested substitution
Seasonality and outages make alternates necessary, but feedstock changes can affect stability. Define approved sources, quality envelopes and blend ranges rather than treating all biomass as interchangeable.
- Run representative laboratory characterization and controlled trials.
- Set a change-control process for new source, composition or blend ratio.
- Use actual performance to update forecasts, contracts and procurement priority.
Evidence before commitment
Decision and proof matrix
Convert each commercial claim into evidence that procurement, operations and finance can review together.
| Decision factor | Operating guidance | Minimum proof |
|---|---|---|
| Supply | Prefer measured recoverable volume over theoretical generation. | Source map, pilot and monthly commitment. |
| Delivered cost | Include freight, handling, losses, rejects and preprocessing. | Trial route and plant cost ledger. |
| Quality | Measure variability, not just one sample. | Representative sampling across source/time. |
| Biology | Approve feedstock and blend through controlled validation. | Lab results, plant trial and operations sign-off. |
| Resilience | Maintain qualified alternates and buffer rules. | Annual feedstock calendar and contingency plan. |
Execution checklist
Before this feedstock enters the production plan
Assign an owner and evidence date to every item. A verbal supplier assurance should not close a readiness check.
- 1Shortlist sources within a tested delivered-cost radius.
- 2Quantify recoverable supply month by month.
- 3Create a common sampling and cost-comparison sheet.
- 4Run collection, logistics and receiving pilots during the actual season.
- 5Complete representative lab and controlled plant trials.
- 6Approve primary, alternate and emergency feedstock rules with owners.
Sources and limits
These sources support sector context and planning references. Figures are indicative, not a supplier guarantee or plant design specification. Validate local supply, laboratory characteristics, process compatibility and applicable legal requirements with qualified professionals.
Continue the decision
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Turn this guide into a plant-specific sourcing plan.
Share plant capacity, location, preferred feedstocks and storage constraints with the URJA SETU procurement team.