Stone laid for waste-to-energy facility in Kochi
The plant will be set up at a cost of Rs 375 crore, and the company will run it for 15 years.
Kochi: Effective and consistent efforts have helped the government initiate the Brahmapuram waste-to-energy plant despite widespread apprehensions over its feasibility, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Monday. While laying the foundation stone for the much-delayed plant, he said it was being set up after clearing the concerns of the local community and protecting interests of the Kochi Corporation.
His scientific advisor M.C. Dathan had played a crucial role in clearing apprehensions and doubts over its feasibility. “When the project got stuck even in the initial stage, he has been asked to study it in detail and recommend practical solutions. He held several rounds of talks and made necessary changes in the agreement with the company,” he said.
“The Brahmapuram plant will be a role model for the state. Steps are afoot to set up centralised waste treatment plants in five city corporations and three municipalities.” The government has handed over 20 acres of land to GJ Eco Power Limited, the company setting up the plant, on a contract basis. The plant will be functional in 18 months.
“Though treating waste at source is ideal in big cities like Kochi, the concept is not fully practical. Hence, the government has decided to set up the plant to address the issue of piled up waste causing infectious diseases. Waste will be heated using gasification process, and the thermal energy will be converted to electrical power,” he said.
The plant will be set up at a cost of Rs 375 crore, and the company will run it for 15 years. Nearly 500 units of electricity can be generated from one tonne of garbage. With a capacity of treating 300 tonnes of waste, the plant can produce 5 to 6 MW of power per day.