Power purchase at Brahmapuram waste-to-energy plant sparks debate

Corporation might be expected to buy the expensive power.

October 25, 2014 10:42 am | Updated May 23, 2016 03:48 pm IST - KOCHI

: Kochi Corporation may have to buy the ‘expensive’ power generated from the proposed waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram.

The State government will support the local body to buy power from the private entrepreneur, who will set up the waste-to-energy plant on Build-Operate-Transfer mode. The tariff at which the power will be sold will be decided by the State government shortly, said Dr. K. Vasuki, director of the Suchitwa Mission.

The power generated from the plant will be expensive as it is not produced in the conventional mode. The Mission has listed two agencies to run the plant and will opt for the one that quotes the lower power tariff. More aspects of the power purchase agreement will be decided by the government, she said.

Meanwhile, the Kochi Corporation is of the view that the Kerala State Electricity Board should buy power from the company.

Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany said that ideally, the State government should spend on buying power from the plant, not the local body. Annually, the local body incurs an expense of Rs. 3.5 crore for processing waste. This does not include the cost for transporting refuses to the plant site. Once the agency starts running the plant, the corporation would save the Operation and Maintenance cost on the plant. Moreover, the Kochi region, including the Kochi Corporation and neighbouring municipalities would get a modern and effective waste treatment plant, he said.

The proposals will be discussed in the Kochi Corporation council shortly. Dr. Vasuki pointed out that the plant would have an installed capacity to process nearly 300 tonnes of waste. Going by the understanding reached at the government level, the selected agency will set up the plant and run it for 15 years. The land at Brahmapuram will be taken on lease.

The responsibility of the local body will be to ensure adequate waste for processing. There will be penal provisions covering the local body and the agency as well. The local body may be fined for its failure to ensure enough quantity of waste and the company will be held liable for any failure to process waste. The fine components will be decided by the State government, she said.

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