Biomethane to power lights

Chennai: This Republic Day, streetlights from Basin Bridge to Ripon Buildings will be lit with electricity generated by Chennai’s first bio­m­ethanation plant.

Researchers from Bha­bha Atomic Research Ce­n­tre (Barc) and Chennai corporation officials ins­pected on Tuesday, the biomethanation plant  being set up at the Pul­ian­thope garbage transfer station. The plant constructed on a pilot basis will reduce two tonnes of biodegradable waste collected from the neighbourhood.

Hot­els, marriage halls and market areas will be targeted and daily, about 100 kilograms waste will be composted to produce 200 units of power. “Our aim is to reduce the waste collected from the city; po­wer production is an add­ed advantage,” said a corporation official.

The success of the plant will lead to more such plants in every zone and the local body is planning to set up a few more plants where ga­rbage collection is high, the official added.

With source segregation remaining a Herculean task, the civic body is  pla­nning to arrange exc­lus­ive vehicles to collect bio­degradable waste from households in the locality and provide special bins for food waste.

“The main aim of this project is to make people do segregation at source. When non biodegradable waste mi­xes with degradable wa­ste and gets du­mped in the dump yard, it pollutes the earth while tonnes of food waste collected from every house go useless,” said S.P. Kale, head, technology transfer division, Barc. “Reducing bio degradable wastes also helps in reducing mos­quito and rodent bre­ed­ing and can reduce gar­bage accumulation,” opi­ned J. Daniel Chell­ap­pa, senior scientist, Barc.