The Hindu Business Line : Kerala-based company plans bio-diesel from municipal waste

Mumbai, Nov. 5 The Kerala-based Upasco Ltd, jointly with Lotus Corporation of Malaysia, plans to set up bio-diesel plants using municipal wastes as feedstock in several Indian cities. The company has already received a contract from Biwandi Municipality near Mumbai and is in the process of tying up with three-four other cities, according to Mr V. Sasidharan, Managing Director of Upasco.

Positive response

The company has received positive response from Delhi, Agra, Pune, Vashi, Bhiwandi and Kochi civic authorities. The Bhiwandi Municipality has allocated six acres for the project. The Agra Municipal Corporation has also approved the project. Mr Shyam Singh Yadav, Municipal Commissioner of Agra, has said that the land for the project will be allocated soon.

The Kerala Government has given in-principle approval to a pilot project in Kochi. Upasco, the exclusive agent in India of the depolymerisation technology owned by Lotus Corporation, plans to float a consortium with other partners to raise funds from abroad for the project, Mr Sasidharan told Business Line.

“If all goes well, the company hopes to set up at least five-six plants with an estimated investment of Rs 2,000 crore producing about 22 million litres of diesel per annum,” Mr Sasidharan said.

The company is also in talks with Delhi and Haryana State Governments and the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

A plant that can process 150 tonnes of urban waste and produce one lakh litres of bio-diesel and 10 MW of power per day will cost Rs 300 crore. The plants will be built on build-operate-own-transfer basis, which will be transferred to the respective city authorities after 25 years.

The city municipalities will give land and a commitment of 150 tonnes of daily waste. A 150-tonne capacity plant will require an investment of Rs 300 crore.

“We have to invest about Rs 2,000 crore for the initial projects. We hope to recover it in eight-ten years based on the output from the waste,” he said.

According to Mr Sasidharan, apart from clean energy, zero waste is the promise of the depolymerisation plants. The residue after the depolymerisation process can be used for road construction or for making building blocks.

Upasco launched the bio-energy venture six months back. The company, in collaboration with their Malaysian partners and local sponsors, has also commenced a bio-diesel project in Ras el-Kheima, the construction of which is expected to begin by December.

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