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Conclusion
Where Holy Cows sift through
Garbage
India presents a unique challenge in waste disposal. High urban population density, a nation
bursting through its seams with teeming masses and rapid rise in consumption led by poor
infrastructure growing at an abysmal Hindu rate are creating a recipe for a garbage disaster
Thermal Depolymerization
This is a process of hydrous pyrolysis (thermal
decomposition when organic materials are heated
in the presence of water) for the reduction of long
and complex organic materials into light crude oil.
This process mimics the natural geological
processes thought to be responsible for
production of fossil fuels. This technology has not
proved itself to be commercially viable, with the
only plant in Missouri, running at a loss.
Thermal Technologies
Pyrolysis
This is process of heating organic compounds to
high temperatures when they decompose into
shorter organic compounds. Anhydrous pyrolysis
can be used to produce liquid fuel similar to diesel
from plastic waste. Pyrolysis is inherently
endothermic, and positive energy efficiency has to
be commercially proven.
SMSIL - Pune
SMSIL is setting up the world’s largest w2e
conversion facility for hazardous waste in Pune
with a capacity of 68 Tonnes per day (TPD).
Another 68 TPD facility is also under construction
in Nagpur. Both projects generate 1.6 MW (net) of
electricity (1600 KWH) from purely hazardous
waste.
SELCO – Hyderabad
This PPP plant used rotary driers and solar energy
World’s largest w2e facility for
to dry the garbage and pelletise it into RDF (refuse Hazardous Waste in Pune using Alter
derived fuel). This project is running presently. A Nrg Plasma Gasification
6.6 MW power plant has also been installed,
which works on RDF as feedstock. The electricity
generated is being sold to the state power Deonar Bio methanation Plant
corporation at Rs 3.48 per unit. Selco is also
setting up a 700 TPD MSW processing plant in One of India’s largest landfills,
Ahmedabad. W2e projects have also been signed Deonar is undergoing a makeover
up in Hubli, Aurangabad, Howrah and Dinajpur with a consortium led by United
with corollary power generation plants of capacity Phosphorus setting up an integrated
6 MW to 10 MW. bio-methanation plant to capture the
methane emissions from this huge
Other Projects landfill and convert to fertilisers and
The Vijayawada w2e project has proved to be energy. A 2005 study done by ILFS
unviable as it is not net energy positive. The Surat showed that bio-methanation is the
w2e project has been delayed. The Deonar landfill best option for Deonar. New
project in Mumbai uses bio-methanation technologies such as the Plasco
technology by composting and creating sanitary Process have emerged since then.
landfills.
Case Study – the Kochi w2e project
The Kochi w2e project being setup is notable as it is the first w2e plant in India which can
handle unsorted Municipal Solid Waste and convert it to electrical energy with a net energy
positive process. The Kochi project uses an Integrated Plasma Gasification process.
This greenfield project
promises to be cash
positive in the second year
of operation itself,
returning a ROCE of 15%.
The performance of this
project shall set the
benchmarks for future
waste to energy projects in
India.
Conclusion
India’s future in w2e projects lies in advanced
clean technolgies like the Integrated PGP Plasco
process, which consumes very little space and can
be accomodated near large metros. While
biomethanation may be the solution for existing
landfills, the acute scarcity of land and the health
hazards associated with landfills give
preponderance to Plasma gasification and
Integrated PGP technologies. The commercial
viability of the Kochi w2e project shall throw light
for investors to scale up the waste management
business in India over the next decade with clean
and compact technologies.
Ottawa Plasco Plasma Gasification plant – this project has started producing net energy and feeding the
national electrical grid in 2008. The Kochi w2e project uses similar technology