The Kerala Government has recently announced the state’s first waste-to-energy plant in Kozhikode.
The structure is expected to be built in two years and seeks to generate about 6 MW of power.
So far, there are around 100 ‘waste-to-energy’ plants nationwide. However, only a handful of them
remain operational.
In February, the Chief Minister of Kerala announced that a Japan-based JFE Engineering firm had
agreed to support the project.
“They have assured cooperation in the fields of technology and construction for the project. The
government intends to complete the construction of the plant within two years. Kerala’s first waste-
to-energy treatment plant is going to be established in Kozhikode”, the CM said.
What are Waste-to-Energy Treatment Plants?
Wastes of different kinds—wet, solid, or gaseous—are high-impact resources for the domestic
production of biofuels, bioproduct precursors, heat, and electricity.
Waste-to-energy (WTE) plants substitute fossil fuels with the least dependence on coal, oil, etc., by
generating electricity.
With rapid industrialization, an increasing population, and blooming urbanization, along with evolving
lifestyles and economic growth, the quantities of waste products are rising too. Unfortunately, with it also rises the carbon levels that have been unlocked.
As it led to overstressing of the urban infrastructure, like facilities like Municipal Solid Waste Management, because of a lack of resources and inadequacies in the current system.
There is a consistent indication that it has become a threat to the environment.
At this juncture, such projects aim to use non-recyclable dry waste to generate electricity and ease
the crushing burden on the Solid Waste Management (SWM) industry at large.
As per government data, urban regions produce around 42.0 million tons of municipal solid waste
annually, which accounts for approximately 1.15 lakh metric tons per day.
Of this, 30 percent to 50 percent of the solid waste is biodegradable, which can be further converted
into organic compost or biogas.
About 40 percent is inert matter, and 15 percent remains recyclable.
In addition, the non-recyclable dry waste remains the most challenging part of the current SMW, as
the presence of such materials impacts recycling efficiency.
Therefore, the WTE plants aim to use this portion of solid waste to generate power. The waste is first combusted to generate heat, which is then converted into electricity.
The plant at Kozhikode seeks to produce around 6 MW of power for a population of about 6.3 lakhs.
A brief history of WTE in India:
The status of waste-to-energy treatment plants in the country remains quite dubious. The first WTE
structure was constructed in 1987 in Timarpur, Delhi, built by a Denmark-based company.
The facility was designed to incinerate 300 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day to
produce 3.75 MW of electricity. Unfortunately, it failed to do so, and a structure costing about 20
crores could not survive 20 days.
Following that, 14 more WTE plants with a capacity of 130 MW were installed, 7 of which have
already been shut down due to failure to upgrade technologies to maintain pollution levels at
prescribed levels.
The idea was introduced in India over a decade ago as a solution to the garbage dumps that
dominate the skyline of the national capital.
The Fault lines that exist in our dealings with the waste:
1. Calorific value
Flagging one of the structural issues with WTE plants in India, known economists Isher Judge
Ahluwalia and Utkarsh Patel (ICRIER, 2018) stated: “Efficient conversion of waste to energy depends
crucially on whether the waste is of sufficiently high calorific value, and India’s municipal solid waste,
because of its high biodegradable content and also high recycling, falls much short of the threshold
calorific value.”
In addition, another problem associated with the low calorific value and high moisture content of
the waste is the question of whether or not to burn it.
That means it has too low to burn, so such plants would require supplementary energy to burn the waste in a given situation.
2. Pollution
Coupled with the issue of increasing pollution, a report by the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB), the government’s pollution watchdog, submitted a report highlighting those dioxins, furans,
and PM2.5 (particular matter at 2.5 microns) among the chief pollutants being released at levels way
beyond permissible limits by waste-to-energy plants situated in the Okhla, Bawana, and Ghazipur
areas of Delhi.
One of the most controversial WTE plants is Timarpur Waste to Energy Plant (Okhla) due to non-
compliance with directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and pollution complaints from
people living in the nearby areas for several years.
3. Segregation
Furthermore, the issue of inefficiency in removing waste from stockpiles can be addressed by
feeding it into waste-to-energy plants and segregating waste, recovering metals, refuse-derived fuel,
and soil, and storing flammable and hazardous waste in a way to avoid fire accidents.
Various steps should be taken for the segregation of solid waste, as stipulated by the Solid Waste
Management (SWM) Rules 2016.
Beginning at the household level, i.e., waste generators must segregate waste into three categories: biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and hazardous waste, and then at the level of authorized waste collectors.
However, the failure of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to establish such mechanisms, along with a
lack of awareness among the masses leading to floundering of the mandate.
In addition, several studies have pointed out that urban settings with 100 percent waste collection
efficiency are usually the areas where either private collectors or non-governmental organizations
are getting involved.
4. Land for landfills
Landfilling is considered to be one of the most economical disposal methods that are used
worldwide. However, poor management mechanisms, specifically in third-world countries, become
major causes of environmental pollution.
Most dumping occurs in open dumps that have outlived their usefulness and have become
mountains of garbage.
The majority of such facilities are situated in low-lying areas on the outskirts of cities without any precautionary measures. And acquiring new land for this purpose remains challenging for the ULBs.
So what, can the WTE plant sustain in India?
In terms of the economic viability of a country like India, some experts argue that WTE is not ideal
because the problem arises at a fundamental level. As a matter of fact, the viability of such plants is
in a critical state.
There are various challenges to overcome in order for WTE plants to become a success in the country, especially understand and straighten the funding that remains with the state entirely. In addition, there is the question of legal status, protection for the waste pickers, and decentralization.
How will India attempt to win over these odds, remains a miracle to witness!
To check various states’ potential in waste-to-energy generation, please click here.