CM to lay foundation stone for waste-to-energy plant

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will lay the foundation stone for the waste-to-energy plant, to be established on the Brahmapuram campus of the Kochi Corporation, on Monday. The function will be held at the Town Hall at 10 a.m.

The civic body, State government, and GJ Eco Power, the agency which has won the bid for setting up the plant, had signed a tripartite agreement for executing the project.

While the corporation will ensure supply of 300 tonnes of waste at the plant everyday, the firm will produce power from waste, and the power thus generated will be purchased by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).

According to the agreement, the corporation will pay ₹2 per unit of power produced at the plant (viability gap fund) if there is difference in power tariff fixed by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission for purchase of power produced and the cost of power production.

Any difference in the cost of power production exceeding ₹2 will have to be shouldered by the State government, said a communication issued by Mayor Soumini Jain.

Incidentally, the reclamation of a paddy field for setting up the plant and the technology suggested had come under criticism from various quarters.

The civic body has already obtained ₹25 crore from the corporate social responsibility fund of Bharat Petroleum Company Limited to meet the viability gap fund, the communication said.

Minister for Local Self Government K.T. Jaleel will preside over the meeting.

K.V. Thomas and Innocent, MPs; V.P. Sajeendran, Hibi Eden, P.T. Thomas, M. Swaraj, K.J. Maxi, and John Fernandez, MLAs, will attend.