Sreeram Veeraraghavan

Solid Waste Management in India

A White Paper

Where Holy Cows sift through garbage Overview of w2e technologies Indias w2e - an overview

Conclusion

Where Holy Cows sift through Garbage

India presents a unique challenge in waste disposal. High urban population density, a nation bursting through its seams with teeming masses and rapid rise in consumption led by poor infrastructure growing at an abysmal Hindu rate are creating a recipe for a garbage disaster

Sreeram Veeraraghavan
M.S & Regents Fellow Univ of California-Berkeley

Urban Indians generate 500g per capita of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) daily. Their rural cousins generate 100g daily. The per capita generation of MSW is also growing rapidly, thanks to increasing consumption and changing lifestyles. In Mumbai, for example, the population grew 49% from 1981-1991 but the MSW generated grew 67% (1). The amount of waste generated per capita is expected to increase at a rate of 1-1.33% annually(2). The projected trends in MSW generation is given in Figure 1. It is expected that India will generate 260 million Tonnes of MSW in 2047, about 5 Times what we generated in 1997. This phenomenon is expected to adversely affect land availability and methane emissions, if not immediately addressed proactively. Figure 2 projects the land required in 2047 to dispose of this waste approx 1400 sq.kms. Considering that this land would be required near large cities and metros, acute pressure for landfill sites is envisaged in the next 10 years, if alternative technologies are not adapted immediately.
Solid Waste Management in India by Sreeram T.Veeraraghavan

Landfills & Methane Emissions

Indiscriminate landfilling as witnessed in India presently leads to rapid deterioration of water quality due to contamination by leachates from the landfills. Landfill gas, which is 55-60% methane, is flammable leading to fire hazards near landfill sites. Inhabitation of land near landfill sites is also not preferred due to foul odours and methane gas emissions. Figure 3 shows the rapid increase in methane emissions from Indian landfills, if alternate waste disposal mechanisms are not adopted.

Physio Chemical Characteristics

The physio-chemical characteristics of MSW generated varies by the population range in each respective geography. This may be plausible due to the different lifestyles in India A/B and India C/D. Important to note are the percentages of compostible matter which is very low in metros and much higher in smaller towns. There is also a wide swing of 20% in calorific value of the waste.

Solid Waste Management in India by Sreeram T.Veeraraghavan

Overview of w2e (waste to energy) Technologies

Anaerobic Digestion & Composting
With anaerobic digestion, microorganisms breakdown biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen - ideal for organic matter without lignin such as vegetable waste, paper etc. This is contrasted with Composting which is done in the presence of Oxygen. Composting generates large amounts of Methane and Foul gas. Technologies avialable today try to capture the leachates in composting as also the methane gas, which can be used for fertiliser production. Anaerobic digestors are cleaner, but more capital intensive.

Non Thermal Technologies

Bio Drying
The waste material goes through a period of rapid heating through the action of aerobic microbes. During this partial composting stage, the heat generated by the microbes result in rapid drying of the waste. These systems are usually configured to produce Refuse Derived Fuel (RFD) which can be used for combustion in power plants or boilers. RFDs usually have a high calorific value. Indian MSW may not be suitable for producing RFD.

Electrical Energy from Composted Landfill Gas Emissions

MBT Sorting Station

Fermentation
Microorganism activated metabolic process which converts organic matter to ethanol, lactic acid etc

MBT (mechanical biological treatment)

MBT system is a form of waste processing facility that combines a sorting facility with a form of biological treatment such as Composting or Anaerobic Digestion.

Anaerobic Digesters

Solid Waste Management in India by Sreeram T.Veeraraghavan

Gasification
This is process of converting carbonaceous materials into syngas , which is a mixture of Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen and small quantities of Carbon Di Oxide. The major challenge with gasification is achieving positive energy efficiency, as energy has to be fed in to heat the reactor, preprocess the waste and cleaning the syngas before it can be used in an electrical generator. There are very few, if any, energy positive gasification plants.

Thermal Depolymerization
This is a process of hydrous pyrolysis (thermal decomposition when organic materials are heated in the presence of water) for the reduction of long and complex organic materials into light crude oil. This process mimics the natural geological processes thought to be responsible for production of fossil fuels. This technology has not proved itself to be commercially viable, with the only plant in Missouri, running at a loss.

Thermal Technologies

Pyrolysis
This is process of heating organic compounds to high temperatures when they decompose into shorter organic compounds. Anhydrous pyrolysis can be used to produce liquid fuel similar to diesel from plastic waste. Pyrolysis is inherently endothermic, and positive energy efficiency has to be commercially proven.

Plasma Arc Gasification (PGP)

This relatively new waste treatment technology uses the high temperature and electrical energy of the plasma arc to reduce organic waste into elemental gas and solid waste (slag). This process has proved itself to be a net generator of energy in certain recent western installations. One critical system in the plasma process is the refractory liner in the reactor. Down times for refractory liner replacements usually result in negative energy efficiency.

Integrated Zero Waste PGP

These are Zero Waste integrated plants which can process any mixture of waste and yet achieve Net Elnergy Efficiency. Plaso Energy Grps Ottawa plant is a good example. Plascos process claims to produce a net electrical energy of 1.2 MWH from One Metric Ton of Muncipal Solid Waste with intrinsic energy of 16500 MJ/T with by-products such as 300 litres of water, 150 kg of construction aggregate, 5-10 kgs of commercial salts and 5 kg of sulphur suitable for fertilizer.
Solid Waste Management in India by Sreeram T.Veeraraghavan

Indias w2e - an overview

India has more than 30 waste to energy (w2e) installations, with multiple technologies and material reduction pathways from Composting to RFD to Gasification. While some are viable, many are not. It is interesting to note that over the past decade, thanks to high crude oil & coal prices and overall growth in the economy, the economics of running a W2E facility has shifted positively favouring cleaner and higher-end technologies such as Plasma Gasification and Integrated Zero Waste Plasma Gasification.
SMSIL - Pune SMSIL is setting up the worlds largest w2e conversion facility for hazardous waste in Pune with a capacity of 68 Tonnes per day (TPD). Another 68 TPD facility is also under construction in Nagpur. Both projects generate 1.6 MW (net) of electricity (1600 KWH) from purely hazardous waste. Kochi Waste to Energy Project The Kochi w2e project uses Plasma Gasification and Anaerobic Digestion technologies for converting MSW into energy. The Kochi project case study is being analyzed later in this document. SELCO Hyderabad This PPP plant used rotary driers and solar energy to dry the garbage and pelletise it into RDF (refuse derived fuel). This project is running presently. A 6.6 MW power plant has also been installed, which works on RDF as feedstock. The electricity generated is being sold to the state power corporation at Rs 3.48 per unit. Selco is also setting up a 700 TPD MSW processing plant in Ahmedabad. W2e projects have also been signed up in Hubli, Aurangabad, Howrah and Dinajpur with corollary power generation plants of capacity 6 MW to 10 MW. Other Projects The Vijayawada w2e project has proved to be unviable as it is not net energy positive. The Surat w2e project has been delayed. The Deonar landfill project in Mumbai uses bio-methanation technology by composting and creating sanitary landfills.
Solid Waste Management in India by Sreeram T.Veeraraghavan

Worlds largest w2e facility for Hazardous Waste in Pune using Alter Nrg Plasma Gasification

Deonar Bio methanation Plant One of Indias largest landfills, Deonar is undergoing a makeover with a consortium led by United Phosphorus setting up an integrated bio-methanation plant to capture the methane emissions from this huge landfill and convert to fertilisers and energy. A 2005 study done by ILFS showed that bio-methanation is the best option for Deonar. New technologies such as the Plasco Process have emerged since then.

Plasma w2e Overview

Integrated Plasma Gasification process does not produce any Toxic emissions such as Dioxins and Furans. It is also the only solid waste management process that can accept unsorted muncipal solid waste while delivering Power, Water and Fertilisers to the market.

Solid Waste Management in India by Sreeram T.Veeraraghavan

Conclusion
Indias future in w2e projects lies in advanced clean technolgies like the Integrated PGP Plasco process, which consumes very little space and can be accomodated near large metros. While biomethanation may be the solution for existing landfills, the acute scarcity of land and the health hazards associated with landfills give preponderance to Plasma gasification and Integrated PGP technologies. Plasma gasification is the only technology that will fit Indias dire need to clean up !

Ottawa Plasco Plasma Gasification plant this project has started producing net energy and feeding the national electrical grid in 2008. The Kochi w2e project uses similar technology

Solid Waste Management in India by Sreeram T.Veeraraghavan