[box type=”shadow” ]Presently, ULBs spend `800-2000 per tonne for transportation of waste to landfill area. According to EY/ FICCI/ ASSOSM statistics, India generates 55 million tonnes of MSW per annum, out of which food waste worth `50,000Crore is going to landfills. The loss can be turned to a profitable business by establishing 50,000 decentralised ‘community development waste to energy plants’ across the country. The question is what should be the right technology to pave way forward? Er. P Velu Nath, a waste management expert puts forth his wellresearched methods of waste management and turning waste into energy.[/box]
IN GERMANY, 860 “community development WTE plants” were operational in 2006. In our country, the numbers should have been more but it is actually very few. While the Prime Minister has envisaged the installation of Community WTE plants as part of his vision and mission,there are huge benefits (tangible & intangible) for ULBs. Over 500 cities have the capacity to install “decentralized community development WTE plants” presently.
As per MSW chart, street sweeping waste is 1%, Home/ Residential waste 68%, hotel & restaurant waste 12%, commercial waste 14% and industries / market 6%, as tabulated by “CMDA”. Total waste generated is 5,000mts/day (during 2013- 2014 statistics). The solution for “CMDA” on ward/ zone wise community development WTE plants with all technical details are tabulated.
Homes & Residential – 68% / 3400 tonnes: All homes can install a ‘kitchen garbage food waste disposer” small device like “mixer / grinder” which can crush & flush them and through drainage. 30% of their home waste can be at source disposed, balance 32% 1292 tonnes can be discharged to “community waste collection bins” as “MSW”.
Homes & Restaurants – 12% / 600 tonnes: Hotels & restaurants can also use the bigger size “Garbage Food waste disposer” or community development WTE plants” which are now available in container type also. This can save costly space and other capex (A/C equipment) & opex (electrical expense) too. This “community development WTE plants” generates Bio-gas/ Electricity / Bio-fertilizer which is a revenue generator and environmental safety. As per the current waste composition, a maximum of 10% can be sonsumed through WTE and balance 2% i.e.12 tonnes can be settled to “community collection bill as “MSW”.
Commercial & Complexes – 14% / 700 tonnes: This can be reduced to 4% i.e. 28 tonnes.
Industrial and Markets – 6% – 300 tonnes: Post WTE, only 1% 3 tonnes remains to be counted as MSW
Thus, after installing the community development WTE plants, community collection bins will have 1292+12+28+3 = 1335 tonnes to dispose off to the landfill.
Garbage food waste disposer cum Community development WTE plants must be made mandatory for all, as are in foreign countries like USA/ UK/ Singapore other countries. This is instrumental in making clean India 2019 possible.
Entrepreneurship Programmes
The business is sustainable in many ways, first and foremost there is no dearth of raw material supply chain at any point of time. There is no cost involvement, as the raw material is waste. Further, the entire business can be covered under CSR activities and hence unnecessary tax can be avoided.
Having said all the biggest result to count for is the image upgradation of the society with no waste lying along the roadside.
This business makes perfect sense for new entrepreneurs.
For our Indian environment and socio economic we have chosen “AD” anaerobic digestion. This can be designed depending upon quantum of waste generated in each ward/ zone for small community development energy form waste plant form `1 crore to 25 crores. This may be suitable for new entrepreneurship application. With regard to zone wise plants may be suitable for “CSR” 8600 Corporates houses from Rs8 crore to 25 crores.
Therefore, individual new entrepreneurship from colleges/ university can choose “ward size” community development WTE plants for their sustainability.
With regards to zone wise “community development WTE plants” can be under taken by corporate group “CSR” spending areas. Plant cost ranges from Rs8 crore to 20 crores. Power generation per day 850KW to meet their each zones employment potential would be 3000 local community people.
Community development WTE plants provides employment potential / poverty alleviation by employing rag-pickers/ scavengers by giving good skilled education training method “Community development WTE plants” is environmentally sustainable by development and socio economics plant programme corporates houses are directly helping global warming & climate changes.
For example, “NLC” chairman Mr. Surender Mohan has proposed to allot `41 crores for “CSR” activities in 2014-2015 “NLC” can sponsor 2 to 3 zones of “Community development WTE plants” as a first sponsor for Tamilnadu.
Major comparison of WTE technologies are
Before implanting the above technologies municipal solid waste (MSW) should be segregated as “biodegradable” and “nonbiodegradable” biodegradable waste shall go through above technologies for energy generations. As per Europeans union guide lines, biodegradable should be diverted from landfill to energy conversion plants where electrical energy/ biomethane (bio-gas) and the residue out of the above process shall be organic manner for soil.
This (WTE) waste to energy plants may be decentralized (ie) small scale community development scale to meet the needs to localized energy requirement of bio-methane for domestic and transportation fuel.
The energy recovered from (MS) is called renewable energy source.
Before, selecting the technology, we should analyses or compare the suitability of the technology depending upon the “ENVIONMENTAL” impact to the particular area. Now a days the economics for investing in the size or scale of the plants depends on raw materials (MSW) availability with quality and source of funding availability also.
Take for instance, Greater Chennai (Tamilnadu) is generating 5000 tonnes of (MSW) per day. Entire 5000 tonnes to be brought to one place and put up a single massive (WTE) plant is having some advantage and disadvantage on economical & social front are to the analyzed.
When one single massive plant is envisaged heavy funding, heavy land scape and economics risks are more. When the same 5000 tonnes/day is divided by 4 north, south, east and west zones, risks are limited and energy generated could be utilized to the same local population requirement and frequent power cuts could be avoided transportation of (MSW) to a long distance is also avoided. Depending upon the size of the plants, the (AD) anaerobic digestion (WTE) plants can be environmentally and economically safe and risk factor is less when compared to others technology.
Therefore, to meet local demands of electrical energy / transportation fuel & domestic bio-methane (instead of LPG) to housewife, the residue out of this (WTE) process, bi
o manure (organic) for organic agriculture produce. Now a days the costs of LPG / LNG gases are day by day increasing to sky level.