CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), which has developed the high rate biomethanation technology based on Anaerobic Gaslift Reactor (AGR) for generation of biogas and biomanure from organic waste, has now successfully adopted the process for livestock at a modern slaughter house.
For the first time, a new laughter house got equipped with the eco-friendly disposal of waste facility during the inauguration itself and this happened at Siddipet when top Ministers K. T. Rama Rao (Municipal Administration & Urban Development) and T. Harish Rao (Finance & Health) were present for the opening earlier this month.
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This waste disposal facility, which incidentally none of the five slaughter houses in the capital have, costed about ₹1 crore and has been taken up by one of the five firms, NYBES, licensed by the IICT to install the unit making use of its technology know how.
“We had earlier tested our AGR technology to handle the livestock waste in our lab for about 10 months. Once we were satisfied with the result, we have given the go ahead. The slaughter house generates 500 kilos of solid waste and 40 cubic metres of liquid waste daily and by processing this, we will get 80 cubic metres gas and 40 cubic metres of liquid that can be used as biomanure for plants,” explained CSIR-IICT bioengineering and environmental sciences division chief scientist A. Gangagni Rao, in an exclusive interaction.
Dr. Rao had indigenously developed the technology and appreciated the ‘visionary’ approach taken up by the Siddipet municipality, MA&UD department and the ministers concerned. “We have not tweaked much in terms of technology when compared to the plants made to deal with vegetable/poultry/mulberrry waste. Over the years, we have moved from reactors made of mild steel with epoxy coating to glass fused steel reactor for better corrosion control and efficiency,” he said.
The bio gas plant is more compact now after the first prototype was rolled out almost a decade ago. There are about 30 AGR based plants across the country with the most famous one being the Bowenpally vegetable market’s 10 tonnes capacity biogas plant generating 500 units of power, also highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his radio talk ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
IICT has also been instrumental in setting up such plants, for instance, the 500 kilo vegetable waste generating bio-processing plants in Kukatpally, Batasingaram and Erragadda markets. Each plant generates about 15-20 cubic metres of biogas – said to be equivalent to 68 kg of LPG and is being used for cooking in the canteens attached to these vegetable markets.
There is another five tonne plant at the Gudimalkapur market generating 150-200 units of power through biogas. “The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is promoting the technology and there are plans to set up a plant at Sircilla to deal with slaughter house waste there. We are also having discussions about establishing them at the upcoming modern vegetable/non-vegetable markets in urban municipal bodies of TS,” disclosed the top scientist.
Dr. Rao said the institute is also ready to test AGR technology to treat any kind of waste and certify the safety of the biomanure – solid or liquid through the process for an effective disposal.
