Construction work of the proposed compressed biogas plant in Kochi will be awarded shortly.
BPCL Kochi Refinery, the project proponent, has short-listed three firms, which have experience in setting up such plants in other parts of the country. The Refinery has also chosen FACT Engineering and Design Organisation (FEDO) as its technical consultant for the project, which is expected to process at least 150 tonnes of municipal solid waste. Besides processing the waste, the selected plant will also have to set up facilities for transporting the gas produced at the unit to the Refinery premises.
The plant will come up on the Brahmapuram campus of the Kochi Corporation. The proximity of the plant site, where the Kochi Corporation had set up a waste treatment plant earlier, to the Refinery campus has come as an advantage for the public sector petroleum company.
The proposed Kochi plant is the first such initiative in Kerala, where biogas will be produced from fresh biodegradable waste generated by households. The civic administrators and the State government view the project as a major step towards addressing the perennial issue of waste management. The waste treatment plant set up by the civic body earlier had failed after it developed technical snags. The floor of the plant sunk, leading to the malfunctioning of machinery.
The financial bid submitted by the companies will be opened shortly. FEDO, which had been offering consultancy service to the Refinery, will also assess the bids submitted by the three firms. The process was expected to be completed within a fortnight, said BPCL authorities. The selected firm will also have to operate and maintain the plant for a specific period. The bio-manure produced at the plant will be marketed by the Refinery.
