Waste generation trends in India

Any organic waste from urban and rural areas and industries is a resource due to its ability to get degraded resulting in energy generation.Waste can be processed through any of the following technological options, which can be categorized into thermal or biological conversion resulting in energy generation. The technologies for energy generation from solid wastes are multiple.

?         Sanitary landfill

?         Incineration

?         Anaerobic digestion

?         Pelletisation/briquetting

For liquid wastes, such as sewage and effluents from industries, anaerobic digestion is the suitable technological option for recovery of energy.

The process of anaerobic digestion and landfill results in biogas production from organic waste. Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. Methane?discovered in 1776 by Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist?is highly inflammable. The calorific value of methane is 13157.89 KCal/kg. This process of methane generation, ie, biomethanation, is an effective tool to dig out the wealth from waste with high moisture content. But for dry waste, the best technique is the production of refuse derived fuel pellets through pelletization that can be burned directly for thermal application or power generation.

There is a huge energy generation potential associated with the solid and liquid wastes.

A. Waste generation trends in India

Year	Per capita waste generation (g/day)	Total urban municipal waste generation (MT/ yr)
1971	375	14.9
1981	430	25.1
1991	460	43.5
1997	490	48.5
2025	700	Double the amt. of 1997

B. Potential of power generation

Urban and municipal wastes                                           1000 MW

Industrial wastes                                                                 700 MW

 (dairy, distillery, tannery, pulp and paper,

and food processing industry)

Total                                                                                      1700 MW

Related websites

www.ows.be/dranco.htm

www.kompogas.ch/en.The_kompogas_process/the_ kompogas_process.html

www.undp.org.in/programme/GEF/dec%2002/deci2/article-3.htm

http://static.teriin.org/case/team.htm

http://www.indiawteplan.com/