GAIL to construct a 300-ton biogas plant in Bengaluru outskirts

The state government has given GAIL Gas Limited (GGL), a central public sector company, permission to construct a compressed biogas plant. on 18 acres of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) land in Mandur, outside of Bengaluru.

The BBMP has been given the task of supplying 300 tonnes of wet waste daily, despite the fact that the business is expected to install and run the facility for free.

The order, which was issued last week by the Urban Development Department (UDD), aims to increase the percentage of waste that the BBMP scientifically processes rather than simply dumping in the landfill. The municipal body currently processes less than fifty percent of the 4,500 tonnes of waste it generates each day.

The BBMP will transfer 18 acres of land to GAIL Ltd for a period of 25 years in accordance with the order that was issued in response to the instructions of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The land will be provided with a guaranteed supply of organic wet waste. It is anticipated that the plant will produce approximately 31.39 metric tons of manure, 10.7 tonnes of bio-CNG, and 180 m3 of fermented liquid organic manure per day.

The estimated total cost of the project is Rs 651.12 million. The remaining 60 per cent will come from a bank loan and a subsidy of Rs 82.50 million from the central government's waste-to-energy program. GAIL will cover 40 per cent of the project's costs.

Two major issues are expected to be addressed by the plant: produce clean, eco-friendly natural gas and dispose of wet waste in a scientific manner. Additionally, the order copy states that the BBMP may increase the supply of wet waste by up to 500 tonnes in the future.

The following are a few of the conditions mentioned in the order: In exchange for the biogas plant, the BBMP will not provide GAIL Ltd. with a loan, tipping fee, or processing fee. The royalty will be split between the company and the product's sales. In addition, the company must obtain environmental clearance from the relevant authorities, and the land must be returned to the BBMP after 25 years.

If GAIL Ltd. does not use the land for the biogas plant or sublease a portion of it for another purpose, the BBMP has the authority to terminate the agreement.

The move was applauded by Sandhya Narayan, who is a member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table, a group of active citizens and experts. Better is any number of processing facilities. She stated, "The BBMP needs to increase the processing capacity as soon as possible." In Bengaluru, there are 11 bio-methanation plants, but none of them are working after seven years.

They have not yet been revived despite numerous attempts. She stated, "Ideally, each BBMP zone should have one large biogas plant."