Pune Waste to Energy Nov 2008 Seminar Report

Waste Matters and Janwani co-hosted the seminar ‘Waste to Energy: Is incineration of city garbage a good idea? ‘in Pune on 29th November 2008 at Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MCCIA). About 35 participants from industry, the waste management sector, representatives of media and NGOs attended the seminar.

The aim of the seminar was to discuss the experience of Waste to Energy (WtE) technologies in general and especially as a possible component of the solid waste management systems in Pune. Municipalities are struggling to cope with increasing volumes of garbage and demands for a clean city. As dumpsites get filled and with no more land available new solutions are being sought. Incineration of waste has been proposed as a neat solution to this problem. Proponents suggest that not only does it get rid of waste, but that it also produces energy in the process as an added allurement to cities reeling under power cuts.

But is WtE really the panacea for our garbage woes? What is the scope for energy recovery, and what are the environmental and social impacts, as experienced in the few cities that have experimented with WtE technology. (See also Introductory Note in Appendix).

The panel discussion included presentations on:

• An Introduction to SWM Issues by Shri Ranjit Gadgil

• Proposals And Plans for Solid Waste Processing By Pune Municipal Corporation by Dr Sanjeev Wavare, PMC

• Environmental, economic, political implications: WtE by Shri Gopal Krishna

• Energy & Efficiency Implications of WtE by Dr Ashok Sreenivas

Shri Ranjit Gadgil opened the seminar by invoking the vision statement for Solid Waste Management in Pune arrived at in 2007, through a deliberative process that included technology assessment to some extent, led by EM Centre and supported by PMC and UNEP. The vision statement is ‘No Waste to Landfill’. Against that vision statement, the actual operation and management processes and capabilities, and major gaps therein were briefly mentioned. (See Appendix for Shri Gadgil’s Presentation)

Dr Sanjeev Wavare, representing the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) provided an overview of the projects and proposals SWM being undertaken by PMC (See Appendix for Presentation). He provided information on composting units (functioning and non-functioning) and bio-methanation plants set up or being set up in decentralized manner. Spaces have been identified in all 14 Administrative Wards of the city for setting up organic waste processing units.

In addition, Dr Wavare described the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facilities being installed at Uruli Devachi under the Centrally Sponsored 10 air field town project. Selco International (http://www.garbagetoelectricity.com) and Hanjer Biotech have been identified through NBCC under this project. The facilities are stated to include:

• 500 MTD Mechanical Composting Unit near completion, being set up by Selco International

• 80 MTD Mechanical Composting Trial runs underway and 20 MTD Vermi composting unit, being set up by Hanjer Biotech.

Shri Gadgil drew attention to the fact that the Detailed Project Report and the agreements between the PMC and the project proponents do not mention RDF plants. However, the PMC presentation and officials describe the installations at Uruli as RDF and the equipment erected at Uruli is also as used for RDF installations. There appears to be a deliberate attempt to obfuscate the information on the technologies that will be used. He also said that people get conflicting messages from PMC: is the focus on recovery of recyclables or incineration; centralized terminal treatments or de-centralized source segregation and processing.

(See Appendix for Agreement between between NBCC (on behalf of Ministry of Urban Development) and SELCO, and work orders for Hanjer and SELCO)

Shri Gopal Krishna provided an overview of the experience of RDF facilities set up in different cities in India. He described RDF as a technology that has been ‘tried, tested, and failed’. In Agra and Chennai citizens have strongly opposed the setting up of RDF plants. The health impacts of dioxin and heavy metal toxicity caused by the RDF plant in Chennai are already visible among people living near by. In Europe and the US, the RDF and incineration plants are in fact shutting down due to environmental and health concerns. RDF plant and incinerator chimneys convert solid combustible materials into gaseous pollutants that are difficult to trap.

In his presentation titled Waste to Energy: The Energy side of the Equation, Dr Ashok Sreenivas provided an overview of the various prevalent Waste to Energy technologies including incineration, pyrolysis, RDF and biomethanation. Quoting UNEP and World Bank reports, Dr Sreenivas drew attention to the inappropriateness of Indian waste as fuel since it is high in organic matter and moisture.

Speaking about RDF technologies in particular, Dr Sreenivas revealed that the intake is the combustible component of solid waste, which is converted into pellets. Supplementary biomass such as rice husk is added to enhance the calorific value. The pellets are either burnt onsite (for electricity generation) or sold as fuel. The amount of waste processed at RDF plants set up in Deonar, Hyderabad and Vijaywada is much lesser than was originally stated. The capex per MW for RDF plants is much higher (upto almost twice) the capex for conventional thermal power plants. Apart from issues related to toxic ash and high capital expenditure, Dr Sreenivas highlighted the fact that despite claims to the contrary, the energy produced from an RDF plant even if it used up the entire 1200 tonnes reaching the landfill every day, would meet about 1% of Pune’s demand and less than 10% of the shortage. (Demand = 800 MW; Shortage > 100 MW; Pune’s RDF potential = 10 MW which is 1.25% of Pune’s demand).

The economic viability relies on tipping fee. Concerns regarding the operation of RDF plants and incinerators include fine particulate, heavy metals, trace dioxin and acid gas emissions, toxic fly ash and incinerator bottom ash (IBA) management.

In response to a question about the Waste to Energy technology used in Stockholm, participants from Sweden revealed that organic waste is enriched with supplementary biomass and burnt under controlled conditions for district heating energy. Prior segregation of recyclable fractions is done at source and intermediate points.

Dr Joshi described efforts to tap landfills for methane and suggested the same could be explored in Pune as well. Mr Gaikwad from Vasundhara Swacchata Abhiyan, Baner requested the PMC to provide more proactive assistance and support for decentralized comprehensive waste management, including providing good educational materials, helping citizens groups to promote segregation at source, and setting up neighbourhood level sorting and composting facilities. Dr Rajendra Joshi from Aundh Ward Office noted the request.

Main issues and suggestions

1. The PMC has not clearly stated the nature of the technologies being adopted under the airfield project – while the presentations and discussions state that the installation at Uruli Devachi is a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plant, the PMC agreements with Selco and Hanjer Biotech do not mention RDF. In fact the HUDCO DPR clearly rules out incineration as a viable option due to unsuitable waste composition. Transparency is needed on the technology proposed to be used.

2. An inspection of the existing facility at Uruli should be done by an independent expert from the field who can verify the technologies that are proposed to be used.

3. A Fact Finding Committee consisting of PMC officials, Elected representatives, NGOs/ citizens groups and media and industry representatives from Pune should visit the installations at Chennai and Hyderabad and interact with the residents near the installation to ascertain what the conditions are.

4. The landfill management at Uruli is haphazard with dumping continuing on the portion that is already supposed to have been capped, and toxic work conditions for the PMC workers as well as waste pickers including children. Operational procedures are inadequate and even ghanta trucks are arriving at the landfills instead of BRCs. Urgent measures must be taken to remediate the existing landfill and surrounds, including the conditions of waste collectors, residents and PMC workers.

5. The PMC should be urged to cancel all plans for RDF plants, and to look for comprehensive alternatives to conform to the already articulated vision statement of 'No Waste to Landfill'.

6. The PMC should provide the complete information and clarification regarding the technologies proposed to be used under the air field project. Awareness regarding the RDF and incineration technologies must be enhanced among citizens.

APPENDIX

Waste to Energy: Introductory Note

Lets Talk Rubbish is an idea whose time has come. Some would say it took a long time coming because the issue of what to do with garbage has existed since man started generating it. It is however, one that has caught the fancy of governments and citizens alike, amidst 21 century talk of world class cities and global warming. Solid waste management looks at how garbage is collected, transported, recycled and disposed.

Countries like India that have robust recycling industries are at an advantage because the quantity of garbage to be disposed is considerably reduced. There is no doubt however that the quantum of garbage generated has been increasing at alarming rates. This puts pressure on land and resources. Nobody wants to have garbage in their backyards, least of all farmers who some years ago had little choice on account of their ignorance and low bargaining power. Not any more. Farmers and villagers have taken to approaching the courts to prevent land reservations for landfills. We are still talking about the disposal end.

What about how cities look? Overflowing containers, unseemly dumps of garbage pushed behind walls, and foul smelling garbage vehicles stuck in traffic alongside trendy cars. Not a pretty picture by any standards. And what of the unfortunate municipal workers who actually stand perched on mounds of garbage in the ghanta trucks. At least they get paid a decent wage. What of the thousands of informal workers who manually handle garbage day in and day out for a livelihood.

Is there a sure fire panacea for all these ills? One that miraculously takes care of garbage, making it disappear at the swipe of a wand? Yes say the vendors of technology, variously known as incineration, plasma, gasificaton, Refuse derived fuel (RDF), landfill gas recovery and more euphemistically as waste to energy or WtE. Politicians and administrators prick up their ears believing that finally there is something that is going to bring them credit rather than brickbats. Environmentalists sound the cautionary note, arguing that technology must be evaluated on the basis of environmental consequences, seen and unseen. Economists sit with their calculators totting up how much its going to cost the citizen in real terms that include innocuous sounding things like tipping fees and landfill costs.

So what does let's talk rubbish have to do with all this? Actually, Let's Talk Rubbish is about NOT talking rubbish about rubbish. It's about making informed choices in the city for the city. It seeks to debunk myths that are created around technology in order to make it more understandable. It places these technologies in the public domain where they can be examined and debated by ordinary citizens through a deliberative process.

Participants

Mr Gaikwad, Vasundhara Swacchata Abhiyan, Baner

Arvind Joshi

Ashok Sreenivas, Parisar, Prayas

Avinash Madhale, CEE

Dinesh Thite, DNA

Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch, Delhi

Goran Johnson, Ramboll Natura

Harish L

Helena Lindemark, Ramboll Natura

Kailas S Yesge

Kalpana Baliwant, PMC

Laxmi Narayan, KKPKP

Magnus Carle, Ramboll Natura

Maitreyi Shankar, KKPKP

Meher Gadekar, Bharat Forge

Nalini Shekar, KKPKP

Nandkumar Papal, Deccan Greens, 311 Shukrawar Peth, Pune

Narendra Chugh, Vishwasanskruti

Nirmala Pandit, Navam

Nitant Mate, KOEL

Nitin Shinde

Poornima Chikarmane, SNDT Womens University

Radheshyam Jadhav, Times of India, FC Road, Pune

Rajendra Joshi, PMC

Ranjit Gadgil, Janwani

Rohit Saroj

Sameer Vyaghrambare

Sanjay Gawade, PMC

Sanjeev Wavare, PMC

Sanskriti Menon, CEE

Shrinivas Varunjikar

Sriranjini Vadiraj

Sujit Patwardhan, Parisar

Sunita Jadhav

Zigisha Mhaskar, CHF