Work on bio-CNG plant at Ariyamangalam dump yard to commence next month

Tiruchi Corporation to establish bio-CNG plant at dump yard, processing 100 tonnes of organic waste daily, improving air quality.

Tiruchi Corporation has initiated measures to establish a bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) plant at the Ariyamangalam dump yard with a capacity to process about 100 tonnes per day of the organic waste generated in the city. Work on the facility is likely to commence in October.

With the completion of phase II of biomining at the dump yard, the civic body has initiated preliminary measures to establish a biogas plant to process the vegetables, meat, and other organic waste to produce CNG.

A sum of ₹35 crore has been sanctioned under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0 for the facility. Around four acres of land in the retrieved space of the dump yard will be utilised for the plant.

A tender was floated a few months back to find a suitable contractor to construct the plant under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode for producing biogas from the waste collected from houses and commercial establishments.

“The tender would be awarded soon, and the project is expected to commence by next month. The project would be completed within 12 months from the commencement of work,” said V. Saravanan, Corporation Commissioner.

The plant will be built in design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) mode. After 20 years, the contractor will return the assets to the civic body.

The produced bio-CNG will be utilised for commercial needs such as fuel in transport vehicles. Officials said that the biogas plant will prevent the land from turning into a dump yard and help improve the air quality of the city as the burning of waste will come down.