Providing impetus to the government’s ambitious project to establish Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants across the State, Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) on Tuesday signed a power purchase agreement with Kochi-based GJ Eco Power Pvt. Ltd., the agency implementing the project at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant.
Under the agreement, the KSEB will purchase the power generated from the 9.76 MW — WtE plant at a rate of ₹6.17 per unit for a period of 20 years from the commercial operation date. The tariff has been approved by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The company had been roped in by the Kochi Corporation to implement the State’s first WtE project on a public-private partnership mode.
The firm, which will be supplied with 330 tonnes per day (TPD) of municipal solid waste by the local body, is tasked with generating 47 million units (MU) of power. The proposed plant is expected to be commissioned within 18 months of the launch of its construction.
The power purchase agreement was signed in the presence of Electricity Minister M.M. Mani, Electricity Department secretary B. Ashok and KSEB chairman and managing director N.S. Pillai.
Higher rate
Speaking to media persons, Mr. Mani said that the power generated from the plant would be bought at a rate higher than usual, but the additional financial burden would not be transferred to domestic consumers.
The KSEB would bear the additional expenditure as part of upholding its social commitment by encouraging such projects that provided an effective solution for the accumulating garbage woes in the State.
He added that the KSEB had decided to purchase the entire power generated by similar WtE plants that would be established in future at tariffs decided by the regulatory commission.
According to James Adai, Director of GJ Eco Power Pvt. Ltd., the plant will be established on a plot of 20 acres that has been allocated for the project.
The processing of wastes will involve reducing their moisture level using bio-drying technology. The process will also employ the gasification technology that will use minimal amount of oxygen in the treatment process and could reduce the need for landfill space.
