Gujarat to use waste to generate electricity
Indian cities generate more than 150,000 tons of solid waste every day, of which only 25-28% is treated. The remaining waste is either discarded in the open or burned. It is estimated that by 2030, the amount of waste will increase to 160 million tons.
To deal with such large amounts of waste, policymakers have found a way to eliminate garbage piles and generate electricity at the same time. This process is accomplished by burning it in a waste-to-energy plant. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the project in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on November 1. This waste-to-energy plant is the largest in Gujarat.
Signing of MoUs with private companies
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with a private company for the project. Under the agreement, the private company will generate electricity and make money by burning 1,000 tons of solid waste generated in the city every day. Not only does this eliminate waste, it also increases the city’s waste revenue. While Ahmedabad still topped all other categories, its numbers declined in the cleanliness survey due to accumulation of garbage. This took a huge toll on Ahmedabad. Now, the company will benefit from the electricity generated by the waste-to-energy project.
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The logic behind building such a plant is that it is better to burn the waste in the plant to produce electricity and oil rather than waste time and resources separating the waste. However, this type of factory was not built for the first time. The country’s first waste-to-energy plant was built in 1987 in Timalpur, Delhi. At that time, the plant operated for only 21 days before it was shut down due to poor quality of input waste.
Currently, the plant is in trial operation, generating 15 megawatts of electricity per hour and processing 1,000 tons of waste per day. When fully operational, the plant will process a total of 4,000 tons of the city’s waste per day and generate approximately 350 megawatts of electricity.
How to use waste to generate electricity?
Waste-to-energy plants use waste as fuel to generate electricity, just as other power plants use coal, oil or natural gas. The plant generates electricity in seven stages.
First, the waste comes to the dump pit, which is the same waste that is thrown into open landfills. But this waste is disposed of here.
The second step is to use a crane to lift this waste and place it on the conveyor belt. Where wet waste is dried. In addition, useless things should be separated. This is done here because the waste is mixed and it is necessary to make the waste suitable for use in the factory.
The third step is to burn the waste. The waste is burned in the combustion chamber. The temperature here is 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius, and heat is released in the process. This heat converts water into steam in the boiler.
In the fourth step, the high-pressure steam rotates the blades of the turbine generator. In the process, electricity is generated, reducing the impact of harmful gases emitted by the waste. In the fifth and final stage, ash is collected from the boiler and air pollution control system.
