300 tonne bio-CNG plant to be set up by GAIL in Bengaluru

In a significant move to step-up the scientific waste management in urban agglomerate of Bengaluru, a bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) plant will be set up in Kudlu by GAIL India with the capacity to process around 300 tonnes of waste daily. This new bio-CNG project is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to tackle waste management in an environmentally sustainable way.

In a key development, the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has allocated 18 acres of land within the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) plant to GAIL India. Under the scheme of things, GAIL India will establish the bio-CNG plant at its own expense. The project will repurpose the wet waste processing facility at KCDC, which has been in operation since 1975. However, the bio-CNG had previously faced strong opposition from local residents due to concerns over air quality and environmental pollution.

Over the last three years, GAIL India, which already operates an extensive gas distribution network in Bengaluru, has been seeking appropriate land to set up this 300-tonne bio-CNG plant. After a detailed project report (DPR) was approved by the Bengaluru civic body in 2021, the state government gave the green light for the construction of the biogas facility in 2022.

As per the details of the DPR, GAIL India will invest about ₹65 crore in the bio-CNG facility. Once operational, the bio-CNG plant is expected to generate around 10.70 tonnes of CNG per day, alongside 31.39 tonnes of organic manure and other by-products. This facility will enable Bengaluru to transform a significant portion of its wet waste into renewable energy and valuable organic compost.

Additionally, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) stands to benefit from this initiative, as it will be able to dispose of about 6% of its total waste without incurring extra costs.

Initially, the project was intended for Mandur but was shelved due to public protests. However, setting up the bio-CNG plant in Kudlu is expected to provide a significant boost to BSWML’s efforts in sustainable waste management, with biogas generation seen as a more eco-friendly solution than conventional waste dumping in landfills.

GAIL (India) recently held that it has been planning to establish as many as 26 bio-CNG plants in the country over the next two to three years. These plants will be set up either by GAIL alone or through joint ventures with raw material suppliers or biogas producers.

The government owned company also agreed with the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) to establish 10 compressed biogas projects and other ventures related to new and renewable energy in the north.