Sreeram Veeraraghavan

Solid Waste Management in India

A White Paper

Where Holy Cows sift through

garbage

Overview of w2e technologies

India’s w2e - an overview

Case Study – Kochi w2e

project

Conclusion
 Where Holy Cows sift through
Garbage
Sreeram Veeraraghavan
M.S & Regent’s Fellow
Univ of California-Berkeley
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
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.
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.
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
Non – Thermal Technologies

used for fertiliser production. Anaerobic digestors

are cleaner, but more capital intensive.
Electrical Energy from Composted
Landfill Gas Emissions
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.
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 Digesters
Anaerobic Digestion.
 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, pre-
process 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 Grp’s Ottawa
plant is a good example. Plasco’s 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.
India’s 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 world’s 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.
World’s largest w2e facility for
Hazardous Waste in Pune using Alter
Nrg Plasma Gasification
Deonar Bio methanation Plant
One of India’s 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.
Case Study – the Kochi w2e project
The Kochi w2e project being setup is notable as it is the first w2e plant in India which can
handle unsorted Municipal Solid Waste and convert it to electrical energy with a net energy
positive process. The Kochi project uses an Integrated Plasma Gasification process.
This greenfield project
promises to be cash
positive in the second year
of operation itself,
returning a ROCE of 15%.
The performance of this
project shall set the
benchmarks for future
waste to energy projects in
India.
 Conclusion
India’s 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. The commercial
viability of the Kochi w2e project shall throw light
for investors to scale up the waste management
business in India over the next decade with clean
and compact technologies.

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