Tirupati: Waste-to-energy plant produces 900 kg cooking gas daily
Compressed biogas plant run by Mahindra and Mahindra company at Thukivakam on the outskirts of Tirupati
Tirupati: The food waste-based biogas plant is proving an effective tool for the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) to make the food waste useful which in turn also helps the civic body effectively handle the wet (food) waste in the city.
Following the initiative taken by the MCT, Mahindra and Mahindra Group (M&M Group) set up the first-of-its-kind waste to energy compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant as a pilot project at Thukivakam, on the city outskirts.
The plant now generates daily about 900 kg of cooking gas (Methane-CH4) from solid food waste collected from hotels and vegetable markets and households in the city.
The MCT took up this novel project to produce energy which also helps the Municipal Corporation ensure proper disposal of the food waste which in turn helps the city to be clean and stink-free, by avoidingwaste dumped in drains, roadside or at open places.
After the MCT and M&M inked an MoU, the Rs 15 crore unique plant was set up on the 6-acre land in Corporation's sprawling waste management complex at Thukivakam on October 7, 2019 under BOT basis to hand over the plant to the MCT after the completion of 20 years.
Plant in-charge SK Nagur Basha said the plant's actual production capacity is 1,250 kg of gas from 50 tonnes of solid waste but now it was producing only about 900 kg as availability of waste from hotels and markets in the city is only 30 to 35 tonnes. The plant is capable to produce 25 kg Methane gas from one tonne of waste.
Explaining the process, he said the wet food waste collected by the MCT will be brought in trucks and dumped at the crushing unit. From there, through big channels it will be sent to the 'digester' where the gas having 60-65 % Methane is first produced. After separating CO2 and H2), 100% Methane gas will be filled in the cylinders.
Mayor Dr R Sirisha said at present the plant is supplying cooking gas to Hotel Taj (100kg/day), Hotel Bhimas (200kg/day) and IIT of Tirupati (300Kg/day).
"Due to the pandemic Covid hitting the hospitality sector, the food waste is less now. If normalcy is restored, the gas production will be more," she said adding that efforts are on to enhance awareness among residents for segregation of wet waste which will be supplied to the plant for production of biogas.