CM Vijay orders construction of biogas plants across Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay carried out a surprise inspection of Chetpet Biogas Plant in Chennai. During the visit, the Chief Minister emphasised the urgent need for scientific waste management and directed officials to ensure strict segregation of the 6,150 tonnes of waste generated daily in the city into biodegradable and non-biodegradable categories.

The Chennai biogas plant is being operated under a public-private partnership (PPP) model on behalf of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

The Chief Minister also called for the expansion of biogas plants across the state to strengthen solid waste management systems while simultaneously generating clean energy. During the inspection of the 100 tonnes-per-day (TPD) facility at Chetpet, officials briefed him on the plant’s functioning. The facility processes wet waste using microorganisms in an oxygen-free environment, where organic material such as food waste and sewage undergoes anaerobic digestion. Over several weeks, this process produces biogas rich in methane and carbon dioxide.

Vijay instructed that biodegradable waste should be processed into biogas and organic fertiliser, while non-biodegradable waste such as plastics should be repurposed for road construction and as fuel in cement industries.

Highlighting the importance of sustainability, Vijay ordered that this model be implemented across Tamil Nadu within a defined timeframe.

Commissioned in 2022 and managed by Srinivas Waste Management Solutions, the plant currently generates an annual revenue of approximately Rs 1.2 crore. Impressed by its performance, Vijay directed officials to replicate similar facilities in 25 municipal corporations across the state. He also approved detailed project reports for new biogas plants in Vellore, Erode, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Nagercoil.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and GCC Commissioner G. S. Sameeran during the inspection.

According to reports, three additional biogas plants of 100 TPD capacity each are currently under execution, including one at Sholinganallur and two at Koyambedu. With two more facilities planned in Madhavaram and Sholinganallur, Chennai’s total waste processing capacity through biogas plants is expected to rise to 800 tonnes per day in the near future.

According to an estimate shared by Government a year ago, Tamil Nadu has over 1,740 installed biogas plants under the National Bioenergy Programme, featuring a collective power generating capacity of roughly 1.97 MWe from decentralized projects. With regards to big biogas projects, Coimbatore and Salem CBG projects are processing up to 550 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily.