In India, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IndianOil) and state-owned power utility NTPC Ltd have signed a bi-partite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and together with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) have signed a tripartite MoU for the development of a pilot waste-to-energy (WtE) facility at SDMC's Okhla Landfill in Delhi.
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Under the MoU’s, it is proposed to set up a 1 MWe Plasma Enhanced Gasification (PEGS) technology-based Waste-to-Energy (WtE) pilot plant at SDMC Okhla Landfill site in Delhi utilizing 50 tonnes-per-day of refuse-derived fuel (RDF).
SDMC would provide a 1-acre (≈ 0.4 ha) land on lease at the landfill site, while IndianOil and NTPC will invest 50 percent each towards setting up and operating the facilities.
The MoU’s were signed in Delhi on June 30, 2020, in the presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Shri RK Singh, Minister of State (I/c), Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, and Lt Shri Anil Baijal, Governor of Delhi.
Plasma gasification technology
The demonstration plant will convert 50 tonnes-per-day (tpd) of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), obtained from the segregation of municipal solid waste (MSW), to produce synthesis gas, or syngas, which shall, in turn, be used to generate electricity.
The plant will deploy state-of-the-art plasma gasification technology, which can process different kinds of wastes such as MSW/RDF, industrial waste, biomass, pet-coke, bio-medical waste, and hazardous waste generated by some industries.
The technology produces high-quality syngas per tonne of waste with zero pollution for more net power generation. All inserts are converted to vitrified slag, which can be used as road or building aggregate and also in manufacturing sanitary-ware and decorative tiles.
The plant shall be designed as a zero liquid discharge plant with a reduced water requirement.
In line with National Biofuels Policy
The National Policy on Biofuels envisages the promotion of biofuels from municipal waste for reducing import dependence on crude oil, bringing down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and increasing domestic production of renewable fuels using indigenous feedstock, besides reduction in health and environmental hazards and legacy waste.
Setting up of an MSW-to-energy plant shall, therefore, provide multiple benefits and is also in alignment with Government initiatives like Swachh Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India. It shall also provide an impetus to the creation of jobs across the value chain, from collection of waste to sale of energy.
According to SDMC, about 3 750 tonnes of MSW is being generated per day in the SDMC area of which 50 percent is currently being processed. After the successful implementation of this MoU, the capacity of this proposed pilot plant will be expanded to achieve 100 percent processing of municipal waste.
In doing so SDMC will become the first municipal corporation in the country to achieve this.