The logo of state-owned natural gas utility GAIL Ltd.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Bengaluru: GAIL India has prepared a detailed feasibility study to set up a compressed natural gas (CNG) plant on an 18-acre site in Kudlu, currently housing the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC), which processes wet waste.
The state-owned energy firm plans to take over the KCDC plant, pending approval from New Delhi.
Last year, the state government transferred the KCDC plant to GAIL India after the company offered to process approximately 300 tonnes of wet waste daily at no cost to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Initially, GAIL India estimated the project cost at Rs 65 crore, projecting a daily output of 10.7 tonnes of CNG and 31.39 tonnes of organic manure, among other by-products, to recover its investment.
The original plan was to establish the plant at the defunct landfill site in Mandur. However, pressure from local residents, including former MLA Aravind Limbavalli, led Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) to reject the proposal.
Consequently, the state government provided an alternative site at Kudlu, where KCDC has struggled to process wet waste scientifically.
With the change in location, GAIL India had to revise its feasibility study, as Kudlu is surrounded by densely populated residential areas, unlike Mandur. While Mandur was initially deemed feasible, delays in site handover for over two years prompted concerns from GAIL India.
The revised project is now awaiting final approval, which will determine whether GAIL India can move forward with its plans to produce sustainable energy and organic manure from Bengaluru's wet waste.