Barc looking at improving the technical know-how of Rs 550 lakh Koyambedu biomethanation project

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Bhaba Atomic Research Centre is looking at the possibility of improving the technical knowhow of Rs 550 lakh biomethanation plant in Koyambedu which is currently hit by technical snag and has failed to generate power for the last seven to eight months.

BARC senior scientist of technical coordination wing J Daniel Chellappa told Express that BARC is conducting feasibility study on how to improve the technology as well as design of the biomethanation plant.

“We could even look at improving the capacity,” he said. Currently, the plant has a capacity of using 30 metric tonnes of waste to generate power.

Market Management Committee officials confirmed that the plant which was generating power from vegetable and fruit waste collected from the wholesale market, has generated lot of interest among Central Leather Research Institute and Bhaba Atomic Research Centre which are working on proposals to improve the technical knowhow of the pant.

Meanwhile, the plant which was to generate 2500 units of power a day by processing about 30 metric tonnes of the 150 metric tonnes of waste collected from the market is likely to generate power by the end of January next year.

MMC officials told Express that due to the fault in the generator, the bio-methanation plant is not able to upload the power in the grid.

Interestingly, Market Management Committee officials have levied fine on Ramky for its faiure to generate power. Although, the quantum of fine levied is not known but it is believed it would be worth several lakh of rupees.

Currently, Ramky would be importing the machine as in India no one manufactures this sort of machine. By next month end, the machinery would be imported and the plant would be generating power, a MMC official said.

Officials said the remaining 120 tonnes of waste is now being kept in a transit station behind and the market and shifted to the dumpyard within next 12 hours. The MMC officials also stated that the market is cleaned regularly and the result could be seen only around 6 pm.

MMC officials said that the menace of cows entering the market has been a big headache. If the market is walled then all these issues including encroachement could be avoided,” the official said.

Interestingly, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority already has a proposal to wall the market but traders and officials say that the measure should be taken up immediately.