CBG Plant to Make Kochi a Model for Sustainable Waste Management

06 Mar 2026 CW Team

The initiative began in June 2023 after the High Court directed the state government to expedite implementation of BPCL's proposal following the Brahmapuram fire, which had prompted renewed focus on scientific waste management. BPCL reported that trial operations using cow dung commenced the following March and that gas generation started in January. The technical works and construction were expedited once the proposal was submitted, according to company statements.

BPCL stated that the plant is connected to the refinery by a dedicated pipeline and forms part of the company's plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. Waste will be segregated on site, with non-biodegradable materials handed to Kochi Corporation, while separation and compression will generate methane for use in the refinery and two biofertilisers. The company has held talks with Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore to sell the biofertilisers and suggested that CBG production could reduce liquefied natural gas imports and support a five per cent blending obligation from 2028-29.

Kochi will begin CBG operations with 50 t of food waste and expects to scale up to 150 t within three months, supported by two operational black soldier fly (BSF) plants to improve municipal waste handling. The mayor said the facility will strengthen the corporation's waste management and a former mayor recalled that plans for a windrow compost plant gave way to a proposal for a waste-to-energy option, which in turn led to the suggestion to build a CBG unit. Similar plants are expected in other local bodies to advance scientific and sustainable waste systems.

The commissioning of the compressed biogas (CBG) plant marks a transformation in Kochi's waste management and positions the city as a model for sustainable practice. The facility, constructed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), has a capacity of 150 t per day and occupies 10 acres at the Brahmapuram site that had been filled with legacy waste two years earlier. The project is the first of its kind in the country. The initiative began in June 2023 after the High Court directed the state government to expedite implementation of BPCL's proposal following the Brahmapuram fire, which had prompted renewed focus on scientific waste management. BPCL reported that trial operations using cow dung commenced the following March and that gas generation started in January. The technical works and construction were expedited once the proposal was submitted, according to company statements. BPCL stated that the plant is connected to the refinery by a dedicated pipeline and forms part of the company's plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. Waste will be segregated on site, with non-biodegradable materials handed to Kochi Corporation, while separation and compression will generate methane for use in the refinery and two biofertilisers. The company has held talks with Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore to sell the biofertilisers and suggested that CBG production could reduce liquefied natural gas imports and support a five per cent blending obligation from 2028-29. Kochi will begin CBG operations with 50 t of food waste and expects to scale up to 150 t within three months, supported by two operational black soldier fly (BSF) plants to improve municipal waste handling. The mayor said the facility will strengthen the corporation's waste management and a former mayor recalled that plans for a windrow compost plant gave way to a proposal for a waste-to-energy option, which in turn led to the suggestion to build a CBG unit. Similar plants are expected in other local bodies to advance scientific and sustainable waste systems.

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