JOIN USWaste-to-energy plant set to roll in November
Handling tonnes of municipal waste generated in the city daily has been one of the biggest challenges of civic agencies.
Now, solid waste management in north Delhi is likely to improve as the waste-to-energy plant being developed at Narela-Bawana engineered landfill will start generating power soon.
It will consume some 1,200 tonnes of municipal waste to produce 24 MW daily.
Pollution under check
The plant will be the first-of-its-kind waste-to-energy plant in the country, using Chinese technology, with special care taken to prevent groundwater and air pollution. According to officials, the plant will start operating by November, and will serve the dual purpose of adding to the power generation capacity of the city as well as containing the need of ‘sanitary landfill sites’ — less than 10 per cent municipal waste will be dumped there, thus increasing the lifespan of landfills.
“Construction of the project is nearing completion. The trial run is likely to start by September 5. The plant may become fully operational by November-end,” said V P Pandey, chairman of environment management and service department of North Corporation.
According to officials, the plant will produce 24 MW to start with, though its total power generation capacity is 35 MW per day, consuming 4,800 tonnes of municipal waste in the process daily.
The plant is being developed by the North Corporation on a public-private partnership model with the Delhi Municipal Solid Waste Solutions Ltd (DMSWSL) — the firm that also provides door-to-door garbage collection service in Civil Lines and Rohini zones of North Corporation.
Another waste-to-energy plant operating in the city is based in Okhla, which produces 16 MW per day.
DMSWSL officials said power generated at the Narela-Bawana plant will be sold to discom Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, which supplies electricity in north Delhi.
“The cost of power production per unit is likely to come around Rs 6.57. But since it is an integrated waste management plant, our revenue model is diversified,” said Abhay Ranjan of DMSWSL.
“We are already producing compost for use as fertilisers. Also, the power plant will generate 10 per cent of the total municipal waste as fly ash, which can be used for making bricks,” he said.
The technology used at the plant will ensure that ‘leachate’ — rainwater that seeps through landfill waste containing harmful elements — does not percolate into the soil and contaminate groundwater.