Biogas plant being built atThathaneri crematorium

In a bid to innovatively make use of segregated biodegradable waste, the City Corporation is working on setting up a biogas plant at the Thathaneri cremation and burial ground.

Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar told The Hindu that the local body was actively looking to recycle waste though different means and introduce a renewable energy source in the system. The biogas plant will have a a capacity to produce 300 cubic metres of gas from five tonnes of garbage generated every day. The plant aims to use waste from different bulk waste generators such as hotels and restaurants.

According to A. Balaji, a contractor working on the project, the plant will shred organic waste and feeds them into a tank. The slurry enters an ‘agitator’ area through a pipeline and is mixed with water at the ‘digestion tank’ creating ‘slurry.’ The tank, in the absence of oxygen, will break down the slurry through anaerobic digestion. Biogas, which primarily consists of methane and carbon dioxide, can later be combusted with the presence of the gases. With the use of accelerators, more biogas can be produced each day, he said.

Using a pipeline system, gas will be transported to the crematorium. “Currently, Thathaneri uses wood biomass to burn the corpses. This is an efficient alternative,” he said.

The work which began three months ago is expected to be completed in a fortnight. The cost of the project is ₹50 lakh. “If households begin segregating waste, they also can contribute to such novel initiatives,” he added.

Apart from setting up biogas plants, the corporation is promoting the practice of composting among private organisations, apartments and individuals. The Madurai District Hoteliers’ Association has signed a memorandum of understanding with the corporation to contribute to waste management process by converting hotel waste into manure.