Patna plans 15-MW waste to energy project with other civic bodies

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has said that it would formalise an MoUs with 12 urban local bodies for the development of a 15 MW waste-to-energy plant at Ramchak-Bairiya. The waste to energy initiative is seen as part of an integrated solid waste management initiative.

A coordination meeting was held to bring together representatives of participating civic bodies to finalise roles, responsibilities and implementation modalities. The project, which is targeted for completion within two years, is expected to become operational by 2028.

Representatives from municipal councils including Danapur Nizamat, Phulwarisharif, Masaurhi, Sampatchak, Fatuha, Khagaul, Bihta, Bakhtiyarpur, Maner, and Naubatpur, along with officials from Punpun and Khusrupur nagar panchayats, participated in the discussions. The Urban Development and Housing Department has designated PMC as the nodal agency for executing the project.

Under the proposed arrangement, each of the 12 urban local bodies will be responsible for collecting and transporting solid waste from their respective jurisdictions to the processing facility at Ramchak-Bairiya using their own resources.

The project, encompassing 13 civic bodies including PMC, will be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. The integrated facility will comprise a 15 MW waste-to-energy plant, along with a bio-methanation unit, material recovery facilities and a composting plant, aimed at ensuring sustainable waste management and energy generation.

Senior officials reviewed the waste to energy project framework, financial structuring and operational mechanisms. The draft MoU and the proposed agreement with the implementing agency were also deliberated upon during the meeting.

Bihar has been a laggard in waste management practices. However, some movement is seen in this direction of late. Recently, companies from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh mulled investments of about Rs 200 crore to establish new biogas plants in West Champaran district. Similarly, Sistema.bio partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Forward7 Initiative and Air Products to launch a project providing subsidized Biodigesters to small farm owners in Begusarai district of Bihar.