five kilo watt biogas plant project has been inaugurated at Ottanatham

biogas plant digester diagram  file photo

To offset the power crisis, a five kilo watt biogas plant project has been inaugurated at Ottanatham, a model village of Tuticorin district. The Project Director of District Rural Development Agency, J. Bellah, inaugurated the project work at a cost of Rs. 3.60 lakh to tap energy resources on Saturday. Biogas, a non-conventional source of energy, has become the mainstay of development at the village, which remains an exemplary to other villages in terms of sanitation maintenance and green revolution. After tapping this sort of renewable energy resource from a public sanitation complex for women, besides drainage wastes, animal wastes and food wastes, 40 lights could be operated for streets and a park being maintained with community participation. While interacting with the villagers, she appealed them to execute waste management in a systematic manner to turn wastes into sustainable energy. Collector Ashish Kumar accorded administrative sanction to enhance rural development with necessary facilities through National Bharat Abhiyan scheme at the village with 2, 153 people. The project is expected to be completed in a month. Relying on the sanitation complex with ten toilets being maintained by ‘Kalapana Chawla’ women self help group, K. Vijayapandian, panchayat president, said the new project would be a significant step. “Ottanatham village has bagged ‘Uthamar Gandhi Award’ for the best administration during 2009 -10 and bagged ‘Nirmal Purashkar Award’ for total sanitation in 2008 -09. The same trend would be maintained to achieve more here,” he said. Twenty-seven self help group members at the village would be involved in monitoring the waste management, V. Subbaraman, Vice President, said. Biogas would be burnt to generate green and clean energy. The biogas yield would be increased as more and more organic waste accumulated, K. Selvaraj, Proprietor, Grace Line Bio Energy, the service provider, said. Many such projects had been emerging in industrial units including seafood industry constantly relying on generation of wastes, he said. T. Subramania Perumal, Biogas Technician, DRDA, S. Subbulakshmi, Block Development Officer and J. Rajasekar, Deputy Block Development Officer attended.
Source:http://www.thehindu.com

Read More

biogas plant to fuel its energy needs

Biogas Plant (Gobar Gas Plant)

In what could be termed as a commendable effort in the field of green energy usage, Arul Anandar College at Karumathur near Madurai has come up with a biogas plant in its campus that uses human and kitchen waste to produce cooking gas.
Located on the outskirts of the city, the college in collaboration with the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation has set up the facility that endorses the use of clean energy. The biogas plant was inaugurated during the 42nd college day celebrations on Friday, March 23. This biogas plant was the first of its kind in a college set up.
Speaking about the initiative, Principal Xavier Vedam said, “Along with various rural development activities taken up by the college, we thought of coming up with a biogas plant to use green energy from kitchen and human waste generated on the campus. Sulabh International has been installing such plants in many parts of the country but were collaborating with a college for the first time.”
Sulabh contributed Rs 5 lakh of the Rs 9 lakh project. The plant became operational from February and the monthly LPG usage has come down by 30 per cent. “We will be happy to guide others who want to install a similar kind of biogas plant in their institutions,” Vedam added.
Environ India, a Nagercoil based industry involved in setting up the biogas plant, installed the plant in the college. “The biogas plant uses anaerobic processes to produce methane from kitchen and human waste which is then used for cooking purposes. Organic waste management is a concern and if not disposed properly. Hence, setting up a biogas plant can be very useful for even a small household. The biogas plant made of FRP (fibre reinforced plastic) requires zero maintenance and is leakage-free unlike the conventional iron domes used earlier,” Selva Baskar of Environ India said.

Read More

In an effort to tap green energy

MADURAI: In an effort to tap green energy, a college in the rural outskirts of the city has come up with a biogas plant in its campus that uses human and kitchen waste to produce cooking gas. In collaboration with the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, Arul Anandar College at Karumathur near here successfully inaugurated the plant during the 42nd college day celebrations on Friday.

Principal Xavier Vedam said the biogas plant was the first of its kind in a college set up. "Along with various rural development activities taken up by the college, we thought of coming up with a biogas plant to use green energy from kitchen and human waste generated on the campus," he said. Sulabh International has been installing such plants in many parts of the country but were collaborating with a college for the first time, he added. "They contributed Rs 5 lakh of the Rs 9 lakh project. The plant became operational from February and we have observed that the monthly LPG usage has come down by 30%," Vedam said. "We will be happy to guide others who want to install a similar kind of biogas plant in their institutions," Vedam added.

"At present, we are using LPG cylinders to fire only the huge ovens used for cooking dosa, chapattis and use the gas from the biogas plant for cooking other things like vegetables, sambar etc. The LPG usage has come down significantly," Muthu, a hostel cook said.

Environ India, a Nagercoil based industry involved in setting up the biogas plant, installed the plant in the college. "The biogas plant uses anaerobic processes to produce methane from kitchen and human waste which is then used for cooking purposes. Organic waste management is a concern and if not disposed properly. Hence, setting up a biogas plant can be very useful for even a small household. The biogas plant made of FRP (fibre reinforced plastic) requires zero maintenance and is leakage-free unlike the conventional iron domes used earlier," Selva Baskar of Environ India said.

"The installation charges start from Rs 10,000 onwards and every day half a kg of biogas will be produced from the small household plant. For a month, it will be equivalent to an LPG cylinder of 14.5 kgs. Biogas plants are environment- friendly. St Xavier's college at Palayamkottai has also installed a small electrical unit of 5 kv using the biogas," Baskar added.

Read More

biogas power plant lies idle

Bus stand bathed in darkness as biogas power plant lies idle

Wasted resources:A 5 KV power generator lying idle at the Salem Integrated New Bus Stand for several years now. -Photo: P. Goutham 

The Night Soil-based Biogas Plant installed at a cost of Rs. 14 lakh to generate five KV electricity for supplying to 100 tube lights at the Salem Integrated New Bus Stand is lying idle for a year now.

This results in a portion of the bus stand going without power and paving way for anti-social activities.

The Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA) had contributed Rs. 2 lakh for the project, while the Salem Corporation had contributed the remaining Rs. 12 lakh for installing the public toilet-linked bio gas plant near the first platform.

The process involves recycling and reuse of human excreta from public toilets through biogas generation by anaerobic digestion as the microorganisms break down biodegradable material and produce methane gas to run the 5 KV generator.

As biogas plant effluent can be discharged safely into water bodies without causing pollution, sanitation and bio-energy are added advantages.

But the generator that can produce 4,000 watt of power for running 100 tube lights has been lying idle for years.

A corporation official said that due to a block in the supply line from the public toilet to the biogas plant, power cannot be produced.

He added that the supply line was beneath the small park near the public toilet and it was not attended to for more than a year.

Around 100 tube lights on the bus premises were not working, leaving the place free for anti-social elements to carry out their activities. The safety of the passengers was also in jeopardy due to the absence of lights.

Corporation Commissioner M. Ashokan said that efforts are being taken to clear the block and the plant will be in full run in a week's time.

He said human excreta-based biogas system improves sanitation, makes energy available and reduces green-house effect, so and hence another plant near the second platform would be installed soon.


Microorganisms break down biodegradable material to produce methane gas

Read More

In a bid to generate awareness about biogas in rural areas

In a bid to generate awareness about biogas in rural areas

: In a bid to generate awareness about biogas in rural areas, a documentary film, ‘Energy Independence’ was released here on Wednesday.
The initiative, undertaken by department of nongovernmental organisation (NGO) management, Madras School of Social Work (MSSW) and NSS Empanelled Training Institute, was to promote awareness on sustainable energy in rural areas.
The 18-minute documentary, which was screened after an inaugural ceremony by Dr S Krishnaswamy, founder and managing director of Krishnaswamy Associates, was aimed at promoting biogas in villages, said D K Harish, a student of MSSW who directed the documentary.
The film was shot at Alathur village in Tiruvanmiyur and Marakanam village.
He said biogas in the villages had created energy independence.
“Earlier, the villages used steel-based system to generate gas, which was a costlier experience. Now, with emerging technology, they are using a fibre reinforced plant, which doesn’t require maintenance, said director of corporate social responsibility of Orchid Chemicals, C Mani.
Mani added that biogas was not successful previously because the government’s focus was on liquefied petroleum gas, which was not sustainable in the long run. He said demand for biogas is increasing now as it is cheaper. “Even many buildings in Chennai are opting for biogas in their complexes,” he said.
Fatima Vasanth, principal and secretary of Madras School of Social Work, said that biogas is an alternative energy and students in collaboration with NSS will spread awareness in villages by holding special camps.

Read More

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). biogas plant for Kovalam

A solution to the vexed issue of garbage disposal at Kovalam, near here, is in sight with the government giving the green signal for setting up a five-tonne innovative biogas plant developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

The Rs.1.18-crore Nisargruna biogas plant, developed by the Technology Transfer and Collaboration Division of BARC, Trombay, for effective management of solid waste, will be set up on 50 cents owned by Kerala Tourism at Mayakunnu behind the popular Light House beach.

Official sources told The Hindu that the government had issued orders for setting up the biogas plant after the Working Group on Tourism cleared a proposal recommended by the Suchitwa Mission.

The plant will be set up by Kerala Tourism within a year. The funds have been made available from the current year's budget.

The biogas plant, which works on bio-methonisation technology developed by BARC, will be able to handle five tonnes of waste daily. It is estimated that hotels at the tourist destination generate 5,000 kg of biodegradable waste daily. The capital-based Socio Economic Unit Foundation (SEUF), the nodal agency that holds the patent for the BARC model, will provide technical support for installing the plant.

Advantages

Unlike conventional biogas plants, the BARC plant ensures increased production of biogas for every tonne of waste, reduces waste processing time, and provides for separate treatment of slurry.

The plant can process kitchen waste, paper waste, grass, leaf litter, remains from abattoirs, hospital waste, green plant waste, crop residues, and water hyacinth. The material to be processed should be brought to the plant site every day and sorted.

The main drawback of the conventional plants is the unscientific management of slurry, which is allowed to ooze out into open surfaces, polluting groundwater and soil. Under the BARC technology, the slurry will get filtered in separate compartments. While the liquid part will be recycled in the operation of the plant, the solid particles will be dried and used for making fertilizer.

Biogas

The BARC model ensures production of 32 kg biogas for a tonne of waste, compared to 20 to 22 kg produced by conventional plants. The methane content in the biogas produced by the BARC plant is 10 per cent more than the methane content produced by the other plants.

Official sources said the gas generated from the biogas plant at Kovalam would either be used for running biogas engines for electricity generation or partially meeting the fuel requirement for cooking without causing environmental problems.

Since the BARC model preserved an optimum temperature of 55 degree Celsius inside the plant, it would help cut down the waste processing time. The processing time would be almost halved from 35 days, as was the case in conventional plants, they said.

A committee with officials of the Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation, Tourism and Local Self-government Departments, Suchitwa Mission, and Kerala State Pollution Control Board will be set up to oversee the implementation of the project.

Read More

Biogas plants at Palayam, Kariavattom campuses

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The picturesque Kariavattom campus of the Kerala University that houses more than 30 departments would soon put an end to its garbage problems. And so will the Kerala University Palayam office, which too has a large campus.
At both places, biogas plants would come up shortly to treat waste; the Kerala University Syndicate meeting has given the go-ahead for this.   The Kariavattom university campus and its premises are eyed by many as a convenient place to dump garbage. The campus itself houses departments, quarters, labs and, above all, a huge number of trees, resulting in biowaste and plant waste respectively. So far, the University has been either burning the garbage inside the campus or making pits on the compound. But the new developments over the garbage issue in Thiruvananthapuram have forced the University to think in the lines of setting up biowaste plants. The plant would come to the help of the residents of the quarters. The fact that it is some 15 km out of the city centre has not kept it any safe from garbage. A bustling IT industry nearby, the sprouting flats in the area and the growing population on the outskirts have added to the garbage heaps on the University premises.  In Palayam, the University campus is visited by hundreds on a daily basis, while a large number of employees are also staffed there. The staff here is in favour of a proper solid waste management mechanism. It is in this context that a mini plant was recommended for the Palayam office too, a University official said. Steps would soon be taken to install the plants, the official said.

Read More

Delhi's public transport to run on biogas

After CNG, the national capital is all set to run its public transport fleet on biogas

Photo: Agnimirh Basu
Ambitious as it may sound, but Delhi plans to run its buses on biogas. In collaboration with the Swedish government, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy plans to set up a biogas plant inside Kesopur Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) complex in West Delhi. The plant will receive raw gas emitted by the STP and upgrade it so that it can be used to propel vehicles.
The project, once completed, will earn the capital city the distinction of having the country’s first public transport fleet that runs on two types of clean fuel: biogas and compressed natural gas (CNG). Delhi already boasts running the world’s largest fleet of vehicles on CNG. Around 450,000 vehicles—this includes some 16,000 buses—in Delhi run on CNG, according to Indraprastha Gas Ltd, a Delhi government undertaking, which is the sole supplier of CNG in the capital.
The genesis of the STP-biogas project lies in a bilateral agreement signed between Stockholm and Delhi in 2009 to share expertise and experiences to support sustainable energy systems in India, with special focus on biogas. Sweden is considered pioneer in biogas technology for heating, power generation and fuelling vehicles. More than 40 per cent of the biogas generated in the country is used to run vehicles.
The aim of STP-biogas project is to create value from sludge, says Ludvig Lindstrom, international coordinator for the Swedish Energy Agency, a government body that promotes eco-friendly energy systems.
During the primary treatment process of industrial and domestic effluents in an STP, after the semi-solid materials settle, the sludge enters into a digester. There it is fermented anaerobically. The process releases raw gas, which is usually discarded by flaring it up. But it contains 50 to 70 per cent methane, 30 to 50 per cent CO₂ and traces of sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen. This is where the Swedish technology comes in. The biogas upgradation plant traps the energy-rich gases and puts them into use.

The plant primarily consists of a loop where water and a chemical liquid, traded by the name of CApure, is circulated, says Lars-Evert Karlsson, sales manager with Purac puregas, a Swedish company that provides the technology. Before the raw gas enters into the loop, activated carbon present at the inlet absorbs sulphur present in it. Within the loop, CO₂ binds with CApure, which then carries it to outside the plant. For releasing CO₂, CApure needs to be heated. This stripped off CO₂ can be used for industrial purposes like freezing and cooling, he says.
The resulting 99 per cent methane is then compressed to be used as fuel.
Another efficient feature of the technology is heat recovery. The upgradation plant has a heat exchanger, which absorbs the extra heat and pumps it back to the STP digester for heating sludge, says Karlsson. Since heat acts as a catalyst and speeds up the anaerobic reaction, the STP consumes 50 per cent less electricity.
The compressed biogas is almost similar to CNG, the main constituent of which is methane. Thus it can be directly injected into CNG cylinders for vehicular use or fed into CNG-fuelled power grid. It can be mixed with CNG and used.
Is the technology tested enough? Mikael Kullman, counsellor of climate change and energy at Swedish Embassy, New Delhi, says similar installations are operational in Sweden, Norway and Germany. There the technology helps the countries reduce their carbon emissions. The solution also creates a model for cost savings in the municipal economy, Kullman says. If all goes according to the plan, the plant should be operational by the first quarter of 2013.
The STP is expected to generate enough biogas to fuel 120 buses a day (Photo: Sabyasachi)
The Keshopur STP was selected for the project because it is located close to a CNG-filling station and a CNG-fuelled power grid, says V S Thind, chief engineer at the Delhi Jal Board. With 10 per cent stake holding in the project, the city water authority would provide raw gas and land for setting up the biogas plant.
The STP, functioning partially at present, can treat 72 million litres of wastewater per day. Delhi Jal Board is currently renovating it to make it fully functional as part of the Yamuna Action Plan. At full capacity, the STP will emit enough raw gas for the biogas plant to generate around 25,000 cubic metres of compressed biogas per day. This is enough to fuel 120 buses.
Indraprastha Gas Ltd and K G Renewable Energy Private Limited will market the gas. They are also involved in implementation of the project.
The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is yet to work out the pricing mechanism. Though biogas has long been used in the country, it is largely confined to rural areas. It has never been priced as people produce biogas in their backyard and use it for cooking or electrification. “We are working on these problem,” says Anil K Dhussa, director at the ministry.
It is also not clear how biogas will compete with other fuels like CNG and diesel which are highly subsidised.
Lindstrom suggests that biogas should be priced less than other fuels to promote it even if it requires the government to subsidise it. “India imports a large amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG), converts it into gas and then subsidises it.” Last year India imported 8.83 million tonnes of LNG, worth Rs 9,344 crore. For biogas, India just needs to tap its huge piles of waste.

Source : Down To Earth

Read More

1.5 lakh biogas plants in rural areas by ’16

The country is expected to see a surge of biogas plants in next five years as initiatives have been taken to set up 150,000 such plants in rural households by 2016, promoters of renewable energy said on Sunday.

“We have set a target to establish a million units of biogas plants in 15 countries of Asia, where Bangladesh would set up 150,000 plants in rural areas by 2016,” Dr Govind Raj Pokharel, senior advisor for renewable energy of the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), told journalists at a press conference in the city.

Dr Govind Raj said south Asia has a big prospect to popularise biogas, a gas generated from organic substances through decomposition under aerobic conditions, and ensure a better living standard of the rural households. He said the biogas plants could be set up at any households who generate 30kg of cow dung or poultry excreta everyday.

Sources with the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), which has made an arrangement with German KFW and Dutch SNV to set up more biogas plants across the country, said Bangladesh has now an estimated 50,000 biogas plants, much of which had gone dysfunctional at the beginning. But the plants that have been set up later have shown an efficiency of 85 percent.

In initial survey of IDCOL show that biogas plants could be set up among two million rural households and meet their long demand for clean energy for domestic uses-cooking and lighting. But aspects like lack of proper motivation, appropriate technology, rising cost for plants as well as availability of cow-dung and poultry excreta have been barring the sector to flourish at mass scale.

IDCOL’s Director SM Formanul Islam said the biogas plants could be a great solution for those rural households, who want to cook food by clean energy sources and reduce indoor pollutions. He said a biogas plant now costs over Tk 35,000, but the costs could be recovered in three years. —BSS

Source:http://www.daily-sun.com/details_ds-1.5-lakh-biogas-plants-in-rural-areas-by-%E2%80%9916_426_1_10_1_3.html

Read More

SASTRA commissions 80 KW biogas plant

The HIndu GREEN INITIATIVE: P.R. Muralidharan, Deputy General Manager, TEDA, commissioning the bio-gas unit at SASTRA University in Thanjavur on Friday.

As part of its initiatives to optimise utility of renewable energy, SASTRA University on Friday commissioned an 80 KW biogas plant on its campus.

The plant of 600 m3 capacity inaugurated by P. R. Muralidharan, Deputy General Manager, Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), utilises human and animal waste to produce power, and would cater to the energy requirements of the hostels.

Mr. Muralidharan lauded the efforts of SASTRA in promoting research and development in photo-voltaics, wind energy and biomass conversion.

Commissioning of the park marked the start of a two-day symposium on New and Renewable Energy (SYNERGY 2011).

Tamil Nadu ranks first in the country in harnessing renewable energy sources, Mr. Muralidharan said.

Alternative energy sources

Muralidharan stressed on the need to identify, develop and nurture alternate energy sources, stating that nearly 65% of India's energy requirement was dependent on thermal power and that only 11% of our energy demand was met by renewable energy sources.

Out of India's renewable energy installations, 42% were based in Tamil Nadu. Fast dwindling fossil fuel reserves coupled with the high transmission & distribution losses involved in thermal power plants have necessitated the development of multiple networks of renewable energy installations.

He urged researchers to focus on improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of renewable energy.

K. Uma Maheswari, Associate Dean, and P. Meera, also spoke.

Current scenario

The symposium serves as a forum for experts and budding young researchers from academia and industry to discuss the current energy scenario of the country and explore the feasibility of various renewable energy options with respect to socio-economic considerations. 

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/article2723390.ece

Read More