Government installs 56MW waste-to-energy capacity in 3 years

policy circle image
These plants generate energy from waste generated from urban, industrial and agriculture waste.

The ministry of new and renewable energy has installed a power generation capacity of 56.34 MW under its waste-to-energy programme in the last three years. In all 199 waste-to-energy projects generating biogas, bio CNG and power has been set up till October 31, minister of state for new and renewable energy R K Singh informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply. These plants generate energy from waste generated from urban, industrial and agriculture waste.

“A total capacity of 56.34 MW has been set up for power generation from waste garbage/material,” the minister said.

ALSO READ: Loan mela effect: PSU banks’ disbursals soar to Rs 2.5 lakh crore in October outreach

The ministry of new and renewable energy has undertaken a scheme to promote waste-to-energy plants to recover energy in the form of biogas or bio-CNG from urban, industrial and agricultural waste. The scheme offers financial assistance from the central government in the form of back-end subsidy to developers for setting up such projects.

Waste-to-energy is an energy recovery method that generates electricity or heat through primary treatment of waste. Some processes produce electricity and heat directly through combustion, while some others produce fuel such as methane, methanol or ethanol. The fuel heats water into steam to drive turbines that create electricity.