Waste to Energy (W2E)
Project description
Title: Waste to Energy (W2E)
Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany (BMU), Government of Germany
Country: India
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), Government of India ,Nashik Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra, India
Overall term: 2009 to 2017
Context
With the current economic development and the steep growth of urban population, the quantity of solid waste, wastewater generation, and per capita energy consumption is increasing in Indian cities. Like many cities in India, the city of Nashik is struggling with solid waste management. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated approach to solid waste and wastewater management, as well as to control of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
The Waste to Energy (W2E) concept is one such solution: energy can be generated through co-processing of septage (faecal sludge) with organic solid waste. This creates a sustainable business model and increases the share of renewable energy, particularly in cities containing huge volumes of organic waste. However, adequate energy generation from waste not only contributes to building a sustainable waste management system but also to a cleaner and healthier environment.
Objective
A pilot model for a sustainable business concept for the combined treatment of septage and organic solid waste to produce clean energy by bio methanisation (co-fermentation) has been established in the city of Nashik.
Approach
The W2E project in Nashik facilitates interaction and cooperation between the various stakeholders - from planning levels to implementation levels. The project assures quality through international technical engagement.
It enables institutions to carry out the following activities:
- Supporting the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEFCC) and the state government of Maharashtra in planning and implementing innovative concepts to generate renewable energy using urban waste.
- Promoting a participatory process and ensuring involvement of all actors at the municipal level such as representatives from the municipal committee and the hotel industry as well as technical experts and engineers. This way, actors from all tiers are engaged and learnings are captured and taken forward.
- Offering human capacity development measures that would result from the implementation of the project on ground. Capacities would build on technical specialists and on specific competencies in the areas of waste management to ensure adequate application of the developed policies, guidelines, tools, and processes.
The technology being used in Nashik follows the principle of ‘HAMBURG WATER Cycle®’, which was first developed by one of the largest utilities in Germany, the water and sewerage utility in Hamburg.
Results
A demonstration plant for the innovative technology of co-fermentation has been developed in the municipality of Nashik. This approach of converting waste into energy for fast growing cities has helped achieve the following results:
- Safe treatment and disposal of septage and degradable waste from community toilets
- Prevention of uncontrolled methane emissions
- Production of bio-gas with bio-methanisation process
- Energy production from waste
- Reduction of energy cost of Nashik Municipal Corporation as a result of revenue inflow from electricity produced into the power grid of the Maharashtra Electricity Board
- Reduction in landfill waste, which will lead to an improved environment, sanitation, and hygiene within local communities