12 MW waste-to-energy plant of EDMC in Ghazipur to become functional in a month
Having missed several deadlines, the 12 MW capacity waste-to-energy plant of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) is all set to become functional within a month. The plant located at Ghazipur in East Delhi will use 1,300 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste everyday to generate electricity. Officials said, once operational, the waste-to-energy plant will serve the twin purpose of generating electricity and consumption of waste deposited at the sanitary landfill site. “The construction of the plant has been completed and trial is expected to start within a month. On successful trial, the plant will be made fully operational. The fully functional plant will consume 1,300 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste everyday to generate 12 MW of electricity,” said Yogendra Singh Mann, Director (press and information), East Delhi Municipal Corporation.
Officials said the plant will also result in reduction of solid waste to be dumped at sanitary landfill sites as well as reduction in emission of greenhouse gases into the environment which will benefit the residents in the neighbourhood. The plant was originally scheduled to become operational in September 2011 but the deadline was missed as the then private partner left the project midway. Then civic body then entered into an agreement with another private player in 2011, which was expected to start power production by September 2013.
In the first phase, the garbage dumped at the site will be converted into refused-derived fuel (RDF) and will be sold to various industries for its utilisation as fuel. In the second phase, the RDF so generated at the plant will be burnt there itself to produce 12 MW of green electricity. “Currently, the Gas Authority of India limited (Gail) is extracting methane and other gases from the Ghazipur landfill site,” said a senior EDMC official.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is already operating a waste-to-energy plant and one compost plant, which are consuming about 40 per cent of the municipal solid waste generated under its jurisdiction to generate around 16 MW power. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) is also in the process of constructing another waste-to-energy plant at Narela-Bawana, which is running behind schedule.