BWSSB to launch India’s largest biogas initiative in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) plans to turn sewage sludge into a significant revenue stream.

By converting raw biogas from five of its largest sewage treatment plants (STPs) into compressed biogas (CBG), the board expects to generate an additional Rs 120 crore over the next 20 years.

The project, which recently received state cabinet approval, will be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The private concessionaire will bear the entire capital expenditure of Rs 85 crore and manage operational costs, ensuring no financial burden on the BWSSB.

While similar projects in cities such as Surat process around 120 MLD of water, the Bengaluru initiative is significantly larger, utilising 550 MLD of sewage.

BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said the project, guided by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, aims to turn “waste into wealth” while strengthening the city’s energy security.

The purified CBG will be used as a clean transport fuel or injected into the city gas distribution network. The BWSSB also plans to scale up the technology to all STPs equipped with bio-digesters across the city.