Cement, Energy & Environment

Key urban WtE projects in India I Developer · Capacity Location i Status Technology 1 (MW I ! deployed - ----------- -----~------ - '------------- -~'----- ~~------------- Jindal Infrastructure Private Limited 6 Jalandhar Stalled Biomethanation Asia Bio-energy Private Limited 5 Lucknow Closed Biomethanation - Shriram Energy System Private 6 Vijaywada Closed Incineration Limited -· 1-- Jindal ITF Ecopolis 16 Okhla Operational Incineration - ~ ~~- -- Selco International Limited 6 Hyderabad Closed Incineration 1-· - Ramky Group 32 Narela- Under Bawana(Delhi) construction - .~ ·- A2Z Infrastructure Limited 15 Kanpur Under implementation - Delhi International Airport Limited 12 Ghazipur Under Incineration implementation Concord Blue Technology Limited 10 Pune Operational Gasification Organic Recycling Systems Limited 4 Solapur Operational Biomethanation Organic Recycling Systems Limited 8.2 Bengaluru Under Biomethanation Hanjer Biotech Energies Limited 15 Surat Source: Renewable Watch Research Issues and challenges One of the biggest challenges faced by WtE plants in India is the non-availability of segregated waste. Usually, municipal corporations are responsible for supplyi ng waste, sourced from landfill sites, to urban WtE plants. Often, the waste provided is non-segregated and comprises a high quantity of biodegradables, making power generation through incineration based technology unviable. This is in contrast to the composition of waste in developed countries, where biodegradable content in solid waste is minimal Combustion of non-segregated waste (including dry and wet waste) results in the emission of harmful pollutants such as dioxins and furan. As per a recent study by the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, incineration of plastics and paper in non-segregated wastes contributes significantly to climate change and acidification. Thus, municipal authorities must implement and efficient recycling programme to prevent non– segregated waste from reaching WtE plants, in order to ensure that the energy produced from these plants outweighs pollution concerns. Another roadblock impeding the progress of the WtE segment is the high capex required for the development of projects. While industrial WtE plants are built for captive consumption and hence are fully financed by plant owners, urban WtE plants are owned by municipal corporations , which construction Under Biomethanation implementation are often cash-strapped and find it difficult to justify the financial viability of the project. A 1 MW WtE plant entails an investment of Rs 100 million-Rs 120 million. Moreover, operation and maintenance costs for a 1MW WtE plant are around Rs 80 million, making such projects expensive as compared to conventional and renewable power plants. With regard to electricity tariffs , there is no conclusive regulation for the power generated through WtE plants. Developers often have to settle for power purchase agreements at low tariffs, which reduce the incentive to undertake such projects. Going forward In order to realize the full potential of the WtE segment, the stakeholders will have to develop a unified framework for the industry. Municipal authorities would have to devise ways to incorporate the informal sector compnsmg ragpickers in the WtE value chain , while promoting waste segregation at source. This would ensure that only non-recyclable and non-biodegradable material is supplied to WtE plants, increasing their power generation capacity. A case in point is Bengaluru, where it is mandatory for residents and commercial establishments to segregate waste before supplying it to the municipal corporation. The corporation then has dry waste such as paper, plastic and recycled metal while non-recyclable 35