SDMC finalises waste-to-energy plant

If everything goes according to plan, then in the next few years, around 8,000 metric tonnes (MT) of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated daily in the national capital would be used for power generation instead of going to landfill sites. Three more waste-to-energy plants are to come up in the city. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has finalised one such plant while the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) is considering building two new waste-to-energy plants — one at Narela-Bawana where an already-constructed plant will be commissioned this month and another at Bhalswa sanitary landfill sites.

Currently, two waste-to-energy plants, Ghazipur and Okhla, use around 2500 MT of garbage for generating 24 megawatts power daily. The NDMC’s Narela-Bawana waste-to-energy plant after commissioning will also consume 1,300 MT of MSW for generating 24 MW power. By the end of June, three waste-to-energy plants in the city will consume 3,800 MT of MSW generated daily in Delhi.

A senior SDMC official said that one more waste-to-energy plant will be constructed near the existing plant at Okhla. “The plan for construction of a new plant at Okhla has been finalised and the proposed plant will consume about 1,000 MT of garbage,” he said.

A well-placed source in NDMC said that the corporation has enough land for the construction of one more waste-to-energy plant in Narela-Bawana adjacent to the current plant. “A similar capacity plant is under consideration subject to the necessary administrative and environmental clearances. If the proposed plant is constructed then both the waste-to-energy plants at Narela-Bawana will consume minimum 2,600 MT of garbage on a daily basis,” he said.

The NDMC is also seeking additional land at its saturated Bhalswa sanitary landfill site for the construction of another waste-to-energy plant. “We will be approaching the land owning agency to set up the plant.

Garbage can be provided from what the city generates daily or it also uses garbage already dumped at Bhalswa landfill site,” he added.