Sep 7,2006: IE: Solid Waste: Mumbai may get electricity from solid waste

In August, in its first presentation for setting up of eco-friendly waste treatment plants, Mumbai-based EB Enviro Biotech Pvt Ltd made a proposal for the bio-management of the Mulund, Deonar and Kanjurmarg dumping grounds to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The proposed Rs 700-crore project encompassing treatment of the city’s solid waste will involve segregation of solid waste before treatment and production of commercial by-products.

‘‘There will be other companies which will put forward their plans. Once the terms have been discussed and agreed upon, the project will take shape,’’ said BMC Standing Committee Chairman Ravindra Waikar.

It will be a four-step process. Segregation, digestion, power house and composting,’’ explained Sunil Pawar, managing director of the company.

During the treatment process, useful by-products of commercial value would be generated. With an input of 5,000 tonne capacity garbage, the plant will produce methane gas, compost fertiliser and approximately 28-32 MW electricity on a regular basis.

‘‘We will be able to produce about 32 MW per hour from the ninth month of securing permission for the project. The power generated can be added to the grid, stored by the BMC or sold to distributors,’’ said Pawar.

The company, which made the proposal on a build-own-operate basis, is ready for 100 per cent investment. However, it will charge the BMC ‘tipping fees’—Rs 326 per tonne per day—on every tonne of garbage accepted at the plant.

‘‘The BMC will suffer no losses. Instead it stands to save the Rs 60-crore we would spend on maintainence of the dumping grounds,’’ said Waikar. ‘‘But the decision will take some time as the rights of the by-products and details have to be worked out,’’ he adds.

URL- http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=200227