Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is planning to set up a processing project for making Bio-Charcoal and Briquettes from dry organic waste from gardens and open spaces. NMMC generates around 100 tons per day of garden waste and green waste from gardens, public areas such as parks and playgrounds, gardens, and street plants. At present, these wastes go to the dumping yard.
The civic body will set up the processing unit on the Design, Build, Own, and Operate (DBOO) model. The appointed contractor will have to share the revenue with the civic body. While charcoal is known and available, briquettes fuel is usually used in boiler plants, heating plants, power stations and thermal power stations, as well as by individual customers for household use.
A senior official from the engineering department says that garden waste and organic waste contain high carbon concentration, low moisture content and high permeability to air. “We can convert these wastes into briquettes or bio-charcoal easily,” said the official.
The civic body has already floated a tender to appoint a contractor to start the process of supplying waste in the plant as well as operate the plant for 15 years and share a part of the revenue earned per month with NMMC as a form of Corporation Royalty. “The share of the revenue has not been decided. The bidder can quote and accordingly the civic body will make a decision,” said the official.
There are 144 gardens and 67 open spaces under the NMMC area. In addition, there are trees and gardens along the road and dividers. According to the garden department, around 11 lakh sq meter area across the city has a garden, open space, or tree belt. “Around 100 tons of green waste, mostly wood, leaves and other similar wastes are generated from garden and tree belts. At present, the majority of the go to the dumping yard,” said a senior official from the engineering department. As per the plan, two processing units with each capacity to process 50 tons will be set up at the premises of Belapur STP plant to use these wastes for solid biofuel.
