400 kw bio-CNG plant located outside city uses food waste
Posted on: 04/Jan/2016 4:31:33 PM
Tamil Nadu is the leading state in energy production using biomass fuel. The state is now proud to houses a unique 400kw plant on a quarter-acre spread at Mahindra World City that runs on food waste. While most of the biomass plants, which contribute 200 MW to TN, use sugar molasses as fuel, the bio-CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) plant can process 10 tonnes of food waste every day.
The plant was inaugurated by Union minister for state- power, coal, new and renewable energy Piyush Goyal, on Saturday, 2nd January. The minister lauded the unique model and asked for it to be emulated by 6,000 towns in the country. He said, "I see that the plant is headed in the right direction towards Swacch Bharat".
The plant works by converting aerobic digestion of biomass to produce biogas which can be further enriched to make it an auto-grade CNG equivalent. This product is devoid of toxic gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.
The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) generated by the plant will power streetlights in MWC and the research valley, two buses that ply within the campus and tractors used in the campus. Close to 50,000 people working in 64 companies in Mahindra City enter the campus daily and spend at least eight hours and consuming at least one meal. The daily waste amounts to eight tonnes.
Mahindra fuels technology general manager Jeevan Dass said, "Initially we thought of dumping them in landfills. But since it adds to the pollution we planned this project". The bio-CNG plant is fed with manually-segregated food waste from kitchens within the campus.
