Chennai Corporation plans to develop two waste-to-energy plants at a cost of ₹2,400 crore in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur to generate 58 MW of power by processing 5,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste from the city per day.
The project will be implemented on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis.
The civic body has sent the proposal to the government for approval, sources said.
“A study has found that the waste-to-energy plants are feasible in the city. At least 25 acres in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi will be used for the construction of the waste processing plants,” said a civic official.
The private operator will construct the two plants, own it and operate it before transferring the facility to the Chennai Corporation.
“The technology options will be finalised after obtaining the nod from the government,” the official said. The project will be commissioned after 18 months of issuance of work order for the project.
After the commissioning of the plants in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi, existing waste dumped in 200 acres of the dumpyard will be cleared.
The results of the study by the Corporation on waste characterisation in the city have been used for making the decision on key aspects of the proposal, officials said.
Contrary to promises
The Corporation’s plan is contrary to what many politicians had promised during the recent election campaign in the R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency.
The leaders of various political parties had assured residents that the Kodungayur dumpyard would be shifted to the outskirts of the city.
Residents of the locality have also been requesting the government to shift the dumpyard to prevent pollution.
But the Chennai Corporation seems determined to implement the waste-to-energy project in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur.
“We will tell the residents about the benefits of the project. Officials will visit the locality to explain the key aspects of the project. The number of complaints relating to pollution in the dumpyard has also come down,” said an official.
A few years ago, the civic body had shelved the project to develop solid waste management factories in Minjur and Kuthambakkam following protests from residents.
