KOCHI: The first waste-to-energy plant in Kochi, with a capacity to process 40 tonne non-biodegradable wastes, is all set for commissioning in the next six months. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Jose Dominic, managing director and CEO of CGH Earth and chairman of Cochin Waste 2 Energy Company Pvt Ltd, the company promoting the venture and George Mathew, CEO of Teamsustain, technology provider of the project, said the plant required installation of high capacity shredders and conveyors to become fully operational.
The Rs 16-crore project requires an additional investment of Rs 6-crore and the company is seeking the support of investors including government agencies to raise the required amount. The company had already invested Rs 10 crore in the venture, Mr Dominic said. The plant will be able to generate 24 lakh units of electricity a year. According to Mr. Mathew, the plant would be able to sell electricity at Rs 7-8 per unit. The plant’s main feature is that it can treat unsegregated non-biodegradable wastes including plastics, toxic chemicals, e-wastes and other hazardous wastes. The plant can also handle bio-medical wastes.
According to Mr Dominic, the company was looking forward to collecting non-biodegradable wastes from hotels, malls, hospitals and others in the organized sector on a fee-based service. “The plant will operate on the principle of waste generator pays for the treatment of wastes. We plan to fix a rate of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per tonne”, he said. The project had been delayed due to some financial constraints although it was launched 10 years ago, Mr Dominic said.
The technology for the venture was developed indigenously and had a patent in the country, said Mathew. The technology can also be used to develop micro and mini projects capable of handling wastes as low as 2 to 5 tonnes. “The technology provides immense scope for decentralized waste processing in the state and the country”, he said. According to mr Mathew, the successful commissioning of the project would be major a boost for the spread of the technology.
