Methanisation pilot project yields promising results

Miyapur: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's pilot project to convert wet waste into methane gas that could help reduce LPG expenses. Methanisation, or anaerobic digestion, is the decomposition of organic matter without oxygen by microbial ecosystems. Decomposition produces a gas, called a biogas, made up of methane and carbon dioxide. Methanogenesis or Biomethanation is the process of combining organic waste materials into biogas and manure. This is done through the use of microorganisms under anaerobic that decompose such biodegradable wastes in the absence of oxygen.

In the span of two months since the inauguration of a bio methanisation plant at Deepthi Sri Nagar transfer station, around 400 kg of wet waste is being converted into biogas and this raw gas can be used for 10 hours of continuous flame which can be utilised for running food and tea stall at transfer station every day.

"This is the beginning of a concentrated effort by GHMC to reduce the garbage at source and produce value out of waste. Currently, we are producing methane gas which can be used for 10 hours continuously by converting 400 kg of wet waste into biogas and the produced biogas is being utilised by the GHMC workers for cooking the canteen food at transfer station and in next two months we shall produce bio gas which can give 16 hours of continuous flame," said Anurag, Assistant Executive, GHMC, Chandhanagar.

Within a short span of two years, the garbage collection capacity of GHMC increased from 3500 metric tonnes to 5,500 metric tonnes per day, which raises potential for producing methane gas which can be used for cooking.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is funding this pilot project, under CSR initiative it released a fund of Rs 24.76 Lakhs for construction of Hyderabad's First Bio Methanization Plant at Deepthi Sri Nagar Transfer station in chandanagar circle 21, Serilingampally zone.

For the installation of plant Deepthi Sri Nagar is chosen as there is a constant inflow of segregate waste and dedicated 20-30 MT of wet waste from Gated communities and Hotels in Serilingampally zone and the thought of converting this wet waste at Deepthi sri nagar will cut shot the transportation and processing charges at Jawahar Nagar Dumping yard.

This plant has a capacity of converting 1 metric tonne of wet waste into biogas of 80 cubic metres per day and this is raw gas and can be used for 16 hours of continuous flame which can be utilized for running food and tea stall at transfer station.

Further the project of generating compressed gas by using Converter is under consideration and this may boost up the utilization of gas by garbage autos will reduce the utilization of Diesel. And this plant capacity can be further boosted to 10 Metric Ton which can effectively reduce the cost of transportation to GHMC. The wastage of this plant is further converted to compost by anaerobic compost method and this will reduce the cost of plant maintenance to the GHMC.

This kind of many more plants to come in GHMC jurisdiction and involvement of bulk generators and gated communities to install such decentralized compost and gas plants at their vicinity will boost a lot to reduce the transportation cost barrier to GHMC and the same fund may utilized for developmental activities.