Local body seeks carbon credit for green power from sewage

"We are not only been able to reduce the green house gas emission but also minimising the grid power consumption through our sewage-based power plants. Now we are gearing to earn about 50,000 units of carbon credit per year for the successful generation of the green gas," Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner S Aparna said. Currently, SMC is producing 3.5 MW power from sewage at four places in the city,

The project is first of its kind in India to generate green energy from sewage gas by using state-of-the-art Spanish machinery. There are four biogas-based power units operational in the sewage treatment plants at Anjana, Singanpur, Karanj and Bhattar. "Two more plants are coming up at Dindoli and Kasar under the JNNURM scheme," Aparna said. "The power generated here is being used to operate these plants only and thereby reducing the grid power consumption," she said, adding "we have approached the concerned authorities for the carbon credit scheme". Sewage gas is one of the end products of sewage treatment plants. It contains methane and carbon dioxide which are greenhouse gases and are generally released into the atmosphere. Reduction in emission of green house gases protect the environment.

SMC has harnessed sewage gas for power generation. Currently about 600 MLD (million litre per day) sewage is being treated in the city. We have increased our capacity from 562.5 MLD to 642.5 MLD to meet the needs of growing population in the city under the JNNURM," Aparna said. The city municipal has saved about Rs 7 crores as energy saving cost from these sewage treatment plants. The two plants under construction at Dindoli and Kosad are each of 0.75 MW and 0.6 MW respectively.

When the two projects will be completed, SMC will have installed capacity of generation of 4.65 MW of power from sewage gas. Under JNNURM, SMC has entered into PPP with Hanjer Bio-tec Energies for converting 400 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day into compost and fuel pellets. The daily collection of the solid waste is about 1100 tonnes. While the compost is being used in agriculture and horticulture, the fuel pellets (Green fuel) are being used as supplementary fuel in industrial boilers, mainly in textile units in and around the city.