Waste to biogas: Govt looks to earnRs 120 crore from Bengaluru’s sludge

Bengaluru: With the govt finding innovative models to monetise every possible avenue to generate revenue for local bodies and reduce the burden on the exchequer, the state cabinet has approved a proposal to sell 200 tonnes of sludge generated by Bengaluru for the production of biogas every day.The move had been initially announced in the budget document of 2025-26.The project is expected to be taken up on a pilot basis with sludge from five waste treatment plants under the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to be considered in the first phase.There are 34 wastewater treatment plants in the city, which treat 1,348.5 MLD every day and generate 200 tonnes of sludge.The govt has approved the plan to sell the sludge to private entities, considering the "high organic matter content" which is conducive for bio-gas production through anaerobic digestion.This will be taken up under a public-private partnership (PPP) model that is expected to generate Rs 85 crore a year.The five waste water treatment plants considered for the first phase are two units in the KC Valley, and one each at Bellandur Amanikere, Vishveshhwara Valley and Hebbal valley.Overall, the five treatment plants generate 550 MLD of water and generate substantial sludge every day.The proposal was supposedly vetted by KPMG, which conducted a technical and financial analysis of such a project.Accordingly, the project was decided to be taken up on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis with the concession period of a whopping 20 years that shall include one year of construction.The proposal also sees BWSSB having a "penal clause" which is enforceable if it fails to supply the sludge in the expected capacity, apart from ensuring "minimum extent of land" for the private firm to produce the biogas.According to a statement released by BWSSB, the project will have a "potential" to generate revenue of Rs 120 crore per year. Its chairman V Ram Prasath Manohar told TOI that the project technology has not been ascertained in Karnataka but claimed it is prevalent in other parts of India.—-Quote"We expect the entire project to take off in the next six months. The first phase of five waste water treatment plants is selected on the basis of the technical feasibility and close proximity to piped gas lines. We expect as much as 30,000 cubic meters per day. Land will be provided for setting up biogas generation facilities on the premises of the wastewater treatment plants, and the cost will be entirely borne by the private party bidding for the project across the five STPs-V Ram Prasath Manohar, BWSSB chairman
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