KOZHIKODE PROJECT
1. Context
The Kerala government recently announced the State’s first wastetoenergy project in Kozhikode. The planned facility is expected to be built in two years and generate about 6 MW of power. There are around 100 wastetoenergy projects around the country but only a handful of them are operational, thanks to various production and operational challenges.
2. What do waste-to-energy projects do?
- Waste-to-energy projects use nonrecyclable dry waste to generate electricity. The process increases the State’s power generation capacity and eases the solid waste management (SWM) burden.
- Generally, solid waste in India is 55-60% biodegradable organic waste, which can be converted into organic compost or biogas; 25-30% nonbiodegradable dry waste; and around 15% silt, stones, and drain waste.
- Of the nonbiodegradable dry waste, only 23% including hard plastics, metals, and e-waste is recyclable.
- The remainder consists of lowgrade plastic, rags, and cloth that can’t be recycled.
- This fraction of the nonrecyclable dry waste is the most challenging portion of the present SWM system; the presence of these materials also reduces the efficiency of recycling other dry and wet waste.
- It is this portion that wastetoenergy plants use to generate power. The waste is combusted to generate heat, which is converted into electricity.
3. Waste-to-Energy Plants
- A waste-to-energy or energy-from-waste plant converts municipal and industrial solid waste into electricity and/or heat for industrial processing.
- The energy plant works by burning waste at high temperatures and using the heat to make steam. The steam then drives a turbine that creates electricity.
- Apart from producing electricity, burning waste also reduces the amount of material that would probably be buried in landfills. Burning MSW reduces the volume of waste by about 80%. Thereby offering a number of social and economic benefits that cannot easily be quantified.
4. Kozhikode Project
- Kozhikode has a population of about 6 lakhs and generates approximately 300 tonnes of waste per day (TPD). Of this, around 205 TPD is biodegradable and 95 TPD is nonbiodegradable.
- The municipality is currently using biodegradable material to generate organic compost in various composting plants.
- Of the non-biodegradable waste, only about 5 TPD out of the 95 TPD is recycled; the remaining nonrecyclable dry waste could be used to generate power at the wastetoenergy plant.
5. Why do waste-to-energy plants fail?
- While waste to energy plants seem like a simple solution, they have several challenges en route to becoming feasible.
- First is the low calorific value of solid waste in India due to improper segregation.
- The calorific value of mixed Indian waste is about 1,500 kcal/kg, which is not suitable for power generation. (Coal’s calorific value is around 8,000 kcal/kg.)
- Biodegradable waste has high moisture content and cannot be used for power generation.
- Second is the high costs of energy production.
- The cost of generating power from waste is around ₹78/unit, while the cost at which the States’ electricity boards buy power from coal, hydroelectric, and solar power plants is around ₹34/unit.
- The price of the power generated needs to halve.
- Another challenge is that waste to energy projects can consume only non recyclable dry waste, which is about 25% of the waste; but often these projects are expected to manage all types of waste generated in the city which is not good.
6. Advantages
- Most wastes that are generated find their way into land and water bodies without proper treatment, causing severe water and air pollution.
- Waste to energy generates clean, reliable energy from a renewable fuel source, thus reducing dependence on fossil fuels, the combustion of which is a major contributor to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
In addition to energy generation, waste-to-energy can fetch significant other benefits like:
- Success in municipal solid waste management could lead to opportunities in other waste such as sewage waste, industrial waste, and hazardous waste.
- Waste to Energy opportunities exists not just in India but all over the world. Thus, there could be significant international expansion possibilities for Indian companies, especially expansion into other Asian countries.
7. How can the plant tackle challenges?
- Operating waste to energy projects also depends on parameters like the Municipal collection efficiency, waste segregation, moisture content, and the operational efficiency of existing biodegradable waste processing plants.
- Setting up waste to energy projects is complex and needs the full support of the municipality, the State, and the people.
- Importantly, the municipality or the department responsible for SWM should be practical about the high cost of power generation, and include the State electricity department, perhaps as a tripartite agreement between the municipality, the plant operator, and the power distribution agency.
For Prelims & Mains
|
For Prelims: Solid waste management (SWM), Waste-to-Energy Plants, Kozhikode Project, calorific value, Biodegradable waste, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
For Mains: 1. What are Waste-to-energy plants? Why do waste-to-energy plants fail and How can the waste-to-energy plant tackle challenges?
|
Source: The Hindu
