Tender for ₹68 crore Vellalore biogas project likely next week

As India is bullish on the expansion of biogas in to decarbonize economy, achieve the 2070 Net Zero goals and foster gas import substitution, biogas projects have begun to come up in all corners of the country. In the fresh case, plans are underway to establish a biogas plant at Vellalore in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, as a crucial step in reducing waste accumulation at the dump yard in the area.

Tenders for the ₹68-crore biogas project are set to be announced next week. There was already a prolonged wait by all the stakeholders for this biogas project. Expected to handle up to 100 tonnes of waste daily, this biogas facility will significantly decrease the volume of garbage deposited at the Vellalore dump yard on a daily basis.

The corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabhakaran said that construction will commence promptly following the tender process.

Currently, the city hosts five biogas plants within its limits. Although their respective processing capacities are presently less than five tonnes per day in the each plant. These facilities fall short in managing the city’s waste output, which amounts to approximately 1,200 tonnes per day. To address this issue, the civic body plans to establish additional biogas plants, aiming to alleviate the burden on the Vellalore dump yard.

The biogas generated from the upcoming plant is intended for use or sale.

Furthermore, the corporation intends to construct a biomining plant at a cost of ₹58 crore to address the accumulated legacy waste in the yard. Tender invitations for this project are scheduled within the next two days. A senior official from the civic body highlighted these efforts as part of a broader strategy to tackle solid waste management issues.

The civic administration has also been actively promoting waste segregation at the source, a prerequisite for processing waste at the biogas plant. Reports indicate a positive outcome from these measures, with a 30% increase in the average waste processing rate attributed to improved compliance with waste segregation protocols.

Recently, Madurai Corporation obtained administrative approval from the Department of Municipal Administration to establish a bio-CNG plant near the Vellaikal dumpyard.