The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil and NTPC Limited to develop a demonstration waste-to-energy project at the Okhla landfill site in Delhi.

This project will use gasification technology to process about 17,500 tons of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) per year. Combustible components from municipal waste will be used to generate ‘syngas’ which will then be used to generate electricity.

Biomass gasification refers to the process of converting solid biomass fuel into a combustible gas, called “producer gas,” which is then used to produce power.

“Solid waste management is a big challenge in the national capital. The city can process only half of its waste. The commissioning of such plants would not only provide a clean and environment-friendly way to handle solid waste but also generate gas and manure,” said Anil Baijal, Lt. Governor of Delhi.

The Minister of Power, R.K. Singh, who was also present for the signing, said that the Ministry would support such projects, regardless of the cost of the production of gas from them. He said that technology used in the Delhi project would result in fewer emissions, and also provide usable residues.

The gas generation from waste will also help in cutting imports of petroleum products and saving precious foreign exchange, noted Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan

In March, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued revised guidelines for its waste to energy program. One new addition to the guidelines is the inclusion of municipal solid waste-based projects, based on the clarification by the Department of Expenditure.

Last year, NTPC Limited and East Delhi Municipal Corporation joined hands to form a joint venture company to harness municipal waste into green energy. As per the terms and conditions of the proposed JV, NTPC and EDMC will have a 74:26 equity involvement, respectively. The JV aims to develop and operate a state-of-the-art integrated waste management and energy generation facility.

Then, it was also reported that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) started utilizing power from a 12 MW waste to energy project set up by the East Delhi Waste Processing Company Limited in Gazipur, Uttar Pradesh. This was the first of a kind initiative where a Metro Rail company in India is receiving power from a waste to energy project. A total of 2 MW capacity will be supplied to the DMRC through this facility.