Oil from plastic waste; B'lore firm's plan for Mysore

It has the capacity to produce eight to 10 tonnes of waste to crude oil

As a way to tackle the ever-growing menace of solid waste in the city, M K Aromatics Ltd, Bangalore has proposed plans for a plant that would convert plastic waste to crude oil.

Explaining the overlay of the plant, managing director of the company, Mahesh Merchant, detailed the process that would ensure the conversion, at Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry(MCCI), here on Wednesday.

“With the process, we can convert one kg of plastic to one litre of crude oil, with 70-80 per cent purity,” he said. Plastic collected from around the city will be fed into a furnace, where it will be dissolved to a molten state. Later, with the help of a catalyst, polythene is broken down to hydro-carbons for the production of high quality crude oil.

The plant, which embraces new technology also has the capacity to create a fraction of the fuel necessary to run the furnace. “Gases such as methane, propane and butane released during the process, will be circulated back as a fuel to fuel the furnace.” he said.

Clarifying that the plant willnot burn plastic, he said that plastic would melt after being exposed to high temperatures in the furnace. Coke and other carbon based products will be left as residue, which also can be used as fuel in various industries, he added.

He said that the plant, if approved in Mysore, has the capacity to convert seven to 10 tons of plastic to crude oil. The plant is not power intensive, he added.

Though the plant would directly employ 40-50 people, rag-pickers with the help of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) would be employed to collect plastic from the city and its outskirts, he said.

The company would bear all the expenses of the project, including an investment of Rs 10 crore. The plant would require land of around four acres near the landfill.

Commissioner of Mysore City Corporation, M R Ravi, said that the technology was both environmental friendly and indigenous. Noting that two such proposals were already placed in front of Corporation, he said that the proposals were awaiting approval from authorities concerned.

MCCI president Sudhakar S Shetty, City Corporation members Lingappa and Nagabhushan were among those present.