After the Union government approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission and increase renewable energy use to reduce carbon emissions, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken the lead to produce green hydrogen from waste and implement first of its kind project that would pave way for its expansion across the city.
“PMC has been trying all possible scientific methods to process the waste generated in the city. The waste-to-energy projects have also been explored by the city and the waste to hydrogen production is one of them. PMC will be able to get 350 metric tonne of its waste process at the plant,” said Asha Raut, Deputy Municipal Commissioner in charge, Civic Solid Waste Management Department.
Junior Engineer Rajendra Tidke said the waste-to-hydrogen generation project would help the civic body increase its waste processing capacity and also help in the generation of renewable energy. “The implementing agency has got all necessary approvals for implementation of the project and would soon begin the operations,” Tikde said.
PMC has joined hands with Variant Pune Waste to Energy Pvt Ltd to produce nine metric tonne of hydrogen every day by processing 350 metric tonne of waste. “The prototype of the plant for generating Hydrogen from waste would be operational in the next nine months and the entire plant would be operational in the next 18 months,” said Chirag Rawat, Head of Project, Variant Pune Waste to Energy Pvt Ltd.
The plant would produce 50 metric tonne of bio-fertiliser and nine metric tonne of hydrogen by processing 350 metric tonne of waste every day. “The hydrogen would be supplied to various petrochemical companies to replace with domestic gas, chemical, steel industries for their furnace,” Rawat said, adding his company was already in discussion with the companies that can consume the hydrogen for various purposes.
There are efforts to use hydrogen as a fuel for vehicles and once it picks up then it will have more consumption in future, Rawat said. “The bio-fertilisers would be supplied for agriculture purposes and fertiliser companies can purchase for its marketing.”
The technology for the purpose has been indigenously developed in association with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), he said. “Once the pilot project is successful in Pune then similar would be implemented across the country and then explore globally. Our aim is to achieve circular economy by processing waste to generate energy,” Rawat said, adding the state of art segregation facility for the project is ready in Pune.
The company would be making an investment of Rs 375 crore for the project and operating it for 30 years. The PMC has provided 5.25 acre of its land at Ramtekdi Industrial Estate in Hadapsar for the project and would Rs 347 per metric tonne of waste as a tipping fee to the company for processing the waste.
