Essel Infraprojects Ltd, on July 16, 2018, held the groundbreaking ceremony (bhoomipujan) for what would be its first waste-to-energy (WtE) plant in Maharashtra. To be located in Nagpur city, the project will be implemented by Nagpur Solid Waste Processing & Management Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Essel Infraprojects Ltd.
EIL is already operating WtE as well as collection and transportation (C&T) projects in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Amritsar (Punjab).
NSWPMPL will develop the project by investing Rs.218.80 crore. Once functional, the project will treat 800 tonnes out of the total 1,100 tonnes of municipal solid waste generated daily in the city. The WtE project entails a waste-based power generation plant with an indicative capacity of 11.5 mw.
Civic body Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will provide Rs.70 crore to NSWPMPL, under the Swachh Bharat Mission, as viability gap funding for the project.
NSWPMPL will develop the project under a concession period of 15 years, including two years for construction. The tipping charges, to be paid by NMC to the concessionaire NSWPMPL, have been fixed at Rs.225 per tonne, to increase by 4.5 per cent every year.
Project Details:
Concessionaire: Nagpur Solid Waste Processing & Management Pvt Ltd
Waste processed: 800 tonnes per day
Installed Power generation capacity: 11.5 mw
Concession period: 15 years
Tariff period: 13 years
Project cost: Rs 206.72 crore
NSWPMPL will get revenue from MSEDCL for purchase of power and recover its investment. The company will also operate existing landfill site and develop two more, including their operation and maintenance for 13 years. This will ensure mitigation of fire incidents, foul smell, pollution in groundwater and air.
According to the Swachh Sarvekshan Survey, 2018, a survey to rank 500 cities in India on the basis of cleanliness and other aspects of urban sanitation initiated by Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, Nagpur ranked 55 out of a total of 434 cities surveyed.
With Essel Infra, coming on board, Nagpur residents can look forward to an affordable, innovative and efficient waste management solution for their city.
According to reliable media reports, MSEDCL will purchase power from the W2E plant at Rs.7 per kwh. This high rate is because the plant is deemed to be a renewable (therefore clean) power generation source. Further, the plant will have a “must run” status, which means that MSEDCL will have to purchase power from the plant even if the demand is low.
Photo Caption: Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari, and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis graced the occasion.