The Department of Science & Technology (DST) invited bids for solid waste management of residuals emanating from the power industry.

The tender has been floated for the disposal and recycling of storage batteries of all chemistries, solar panels, wind turbine parts, other power generating, transmission and distribution equipment along with insulating material (porcelain glass, polymer). The tender also includes the management of waste produced due to the increased installation of Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems in thermal power stations.

The last date for the submission of bids is November 15, 2020.

Proposals should be submitted online by scientists, engineers, technologists working in universities and other academic institutions, research and development institutions, laboratories with adequate infrastructure for research and development work.

The DST had initiated a technology development program -Waste Management Technologies (WMT) in 2015, which aimed to promote the development of suitable technologies with the potential to alleviate the environmental load from the vast amount of residuals generated by industrial development and consumption lifestyle.

The objectives of WMT is to:

• Take stock of technological development, assess, analyze and look for material recycling systems with low environment loading and improve upon them or find better alternatives
• Develop waste management technologies that can be adopted in small and medium-scale enterprises to improve their productivity and global competitiveness
• Establish the techno-economic feasibility of proposed methodologies and technologies

To participate, the applicants should have relevant experience, patents, prototypes, and technology demonstrations. Proposals should have the participation of relevant industry stakeholders as the end product of development would be transferred for technology implementation. Participants can only submit one proposal each.

The notice added that the government would enable financial support only for temporary staff salaries, equipment, consumables, domestic travel, and other miscellaneous items. No support will be provided for basic infrastructure, buildings, and international travel. Fund support under the non-recurring grant for required equipment will be given, but only if the facility is not available with the participant or nearby institutions. No major infrastructure will be funded, the DST clarified.

Notably, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recently issued a draft notification for battery waste management. The regulations will apply to all types of batteries as listed in the Schedule-I, regardless of their shape, volume, weight, material, and composition, or use.

The DST is also encouraging translational research on carbon capture, utilization, and storage and has invited proposals from Indian researchers in the area under the Accelerating CCUS Technologies (ACT) program in collaboration with other ACT member countries.