The first cascade of compressed biogas (CBG) produced from garbage at the Bhandewadi dumping yard in Nagpur is expected to be lifted by this Friday by Haryana City Gas, the company responsible for distributing CBG in the city. The initial phase, capable of processing 400 tonnes per day (TPD) of garbage, is ready for gas production.
Scaling Up Operations
Vrinda Thakur, the executive director of KEVA Green, which is funding the Rs300 crore project, stated that the capacity will be scaled up to 1,200 TPD by August. When operations reach full scale, almost all of the garbage generated by the city each day would be consumed in the processing units.
Background of the Project
KEVA Green is part of the Kedar Vaze (KEVA) Group, originally a perfume manufacturer. Thakur explained that the Netherlands-based entity Sustainable Business Development (SuSBDe) initially responded when the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) invited bids for the project in 2023. Subsequently, KEVA Green provided the funding. Bidders were required to quote tipping charges, a fee for waste management they would receive from NMC. SuSBDe secured the deal by quoting nil charges.
Thakur emphasized that the company aims for returns through the production of gas, bio-fertiliser, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) used in the cement industry. Production will begin with gas. The garbage will be processed in 30 tunnels, of which 20 are already ready, producing gas and bio-fertiliser.
Future Plans
As gas is expected to be a primary revenue source, starting CBG filling stations is also being considered, as producers can establish vending outlets. Thakur clarified that only fresh wet garbage will be processed, not the legacy waste already lying at Bhandewadi, for which another entity has been appointed. The wet waste will be used for gas and bio-fertiliser production, while the rest will be converted into RDF.
Thakur mentioned that her commitment to better waste management began after a fire at a landfill in Mumbai in 2016. Living in Amsterdam, she explored waste processing technology and eventually launched a project in Nagpur. A similar agreement has been reached with the civic body in Kanpur as well.
