MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s lone 5TPD bio-methanation plant set up at the SGPDA plant has been found running successfully within the parameters.The civic body, however, is yet to benefit from the generation of power and bio-fertiliser as was promised at the time of commissioning of the plant.
A member of the technical team constituted by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) Pradip Sakarkadam inspected the bio-methanation plant to ascertain whether the plant which was set up last year is working within the parameters. While the suggestions mooted by the GSUDA technical team have been put into effect by the Pune-based Urja Bio-systems, questions are being raised whether the MMC has benefitted from the power generation by the plant.
Questions have also been raised whether the MMC has connected the bio-methanation plant to the power grid to earn the revenue or use the power to offset the bills raised by the Power department for the consumption of power by the civic body.
For, when the plant was being commissioned, hopes were raised that the MMC would earn a monthly revenue of around Rs 1.50 lakh by way of power generation. The company had further given hopes that the civic body would benefit from the bio-fertiliser generated by the bio-methanation plant.
Inquiries have revealed that while the plant is generating around 40-50 kilowatt of electricity by treating around 5000 tons of sorted waste, around 15 per cent of the power is utilised to run the plant. The project manager of the Pune-based company pointed out that the company has been using the power generated to run the plant for 10 hours a day.
The company, however, said the power generated by the plant has not yet been sent to the grid because of some issues while exuding confidence the MMC would take a call on supplying the power to the grid.
What’s interesting to know is that the plant has been receiving sorted waste from the Municipality and the households if one goes by the project manager of Urja Bio-systems. “We are now getting 100 per cent sorted waste. People are also contributing to the success of the plant by supplying sorted waste. Because of the quality of the waste, we are getting good output,” he added.
Margao Municipal officials said the civic body is sending a letter to the Superintending Engineer and Power department to complete the formalities of supplying power generated at the plant to the grid.
As far as the bio-fertiliser is concerned, sources pointed out that it may take some time for the civic body to avail benefit of the same given that the area where the plant is located has a high water table and may not be conducive to churning out the bio-fertiliser from the sludge at least for the moment.
The MMC had tendered a total of three 5TPD bio-methanation plants, out of which one has been commissioned on a trial basis.
