Chennai to get five new biogas plants to manage city’s bio-waste

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will soon get five new biogas plants by December 2024. This is aimed at providing a sustainable solution to engulf one-third of the 2,100 tonnes of wet waste generated daily in Chennai and produce biogas from the waste.

As per reports, each of these new plants will have a capacity of 100 tonnes and will produce 4,000 kg of biogas daily. At present, GCC operates two plants with a combined capacity of 200 tonnes in Chetpet and Madhavaram.

Biogas plants process organic waste in an anaerobic digester, where microorganisms decompose the waste without oxygen, producing biogas mainly composed of methane and carbon dioxide, which can be used as renewable energy. The remaining material can be used as manure/fertilizer that benefits the soil greatly.

As the new five biogas plants will come live this year, GCC’s total production capacity will increase to 700 tonnes, handling about a third of the city’s daily wet waste. This initiative will reduce landfill waste and serve as a revenue model for GCC, which charges ₹1.5 per kg of biogas as royalty, along with land rent for the biogas plants.

As per the plan, the first new plant will become operational in Sholinganallur by June 30, followed by four additional plants in Sholinganallur (Phase II), Madhavaram (Phase II), and Koyambedu (Phase I and II) by December 31.

GCC also plans to collaborate with mid-size and star hotels for biogas procurement. The corporation also aims to scale up micro-composting and vermicomposting and ensure 100% wet waste segregation.

Currently, GCC operates 208 micro-composting centers processing about 600 tonnes of waste. Radhakrishnan highlighted that biogas plants can generate energy faster and with better returns compared to composting, which takes longer to produce manure.

The Tiruchi City Corporation is mulling to establish a biogas plant at the city’s Ariyamangalam dump yard. Plans are also underway to establish a biogas plant at Vellalore in Coimbatore as a crucial step in reducing waste accumulation at the dump yard in the area.