Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has initiated discussions with a panchayat in Coimbatore to install a bio-methanation plant. It will process the organic waste from vegetables markets, abattoirs and toilets to generate manure and biogas.
The Chennai Corporation is installing three such plants with BARC-developed technology with the construction of the first plant taken up at Pulianthoppe around ten days ago.
J. Daniel Chellappa, Senior Scientist at BARC’s Technical Coordination Wing in Chennai, held discussions with the President of Kurudampalayam Panchayat in Perianaickenpalayam Union, D. Ravi, and T. Murugan, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) on Wednesday.
Mr. Ravi said that they had already commenced a study to identify the quantity and type of waste being generated in the locality.
Residents of the local body had already begun source segregation of waste at the collection points itself. The Kurudampalayam Panchayat had 9,000 houses and a population of 30,143.
Mr. Chellappa said that the villagers were given a training programme on waste collection for this plant, which will process all kinds of organic waste.
A bio-methanation plant with the capacity to process one tonne of waste per day can generate two cylinders of biogas and 50 kg of manure.
The plant will cost between Rs. 17 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh. The plant can be designed to process between one and 50 tonnes per day.
Construction could be completed under BARC supervision within two to three months.
“This is the first time such a plant is being considered for a Panchayat in Tamil Nadu. If the project materialises, this Panchayat could be a model for the rest of the State,” he said.
Apart from the Chennai Corporation, a bio-methanation plant is also coming up in an Information Technology company at Siruseri in Chennai. It is likely to be commissioned next month.
