India has set up 186 waste-to-energy projects for generation of biogas, bioCNG power with a cumulative capacity of 317.03 MW so far, informed Union Power Minister R.K Singh while speaking in Lok Sabha. Out of the 186 projects, 5 projects are based on municipality solid waste thus generating a total capacity of 66.5 MW of energy, informed minister. The aim behind setting up of these waste-to-energy power plants is to recover energy from waste and effluent generated from industries.
He further informed that around 181 projects are agricultural, urban and industrial waste-based waste-to-energy projects. From this total, projects, 94 projects are biogas and bio compressed natural gas (CNG) off-grid purpose.
Singh said, "The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing the ‘Program on Energy from Urban, Industrial, and Agricultural Wastes/ Residues’ for the promotion of setting up of waste-to-energy projects to recover energy in the form of biogas or bio-CNG. The program provides central financial assistance in the form of back-ended subsidy to developers towards the setting of such projects”.
He also said that India has well established technologies for the recovery of biogas or power from waste. Also, while looking at the state wise performance, the state of Tamil Nadu tops the list with the installation of 28 biogas projects generating 1,57,320 cubic metric/day.
This is followed by Maharashtra which generates 110,580 cubic metric/day. Andhra Pradesh ranks next by generating 60,240 cubic metric/day.