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Biogas cuts power bill of Arcot civic body

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The Hindu    07.04.2017 

Biogas cuts power bill of Arcot civic body

Clean energy:Collector S.A. Raman inspecting the biogas plant at Arcot Municipality on Thursday.C. VENKATACHALAPATHYC_VENKATACHALAPATHY  

Plant powers 156 street lights

The Arcot Municipality has been saving at least Rs. 2.25 lakh, every month after it started using the power generated by its biogas plant, according to Collector S.A. Raman.

Using the methane produced at the biogas plant in place of diesel for operating a 30 kVA generator, the municipality was powering 156 street lights and 10 other lights. There was uninterrupted power supply for these lights, thereby reducing the use of diesel. The municipality had been saving at least Rs. 75,000 as electricity charges every month, a release said.

The Collector visited the facility on Thursday. The plant was set up in 2013 under the self-sufficiency scheme at a cost of Rs. 44 lakh.

Earlier, the civic body had been removing its vegetable, fruits and meat waste by involving a private agency and paying them Rs. 3 lakh a month. After the biogas plant came into place, the municipality workers were removing the waste and taking it to the plant in the municipal vehicles. This cost only Rs. 1.5 lakh, he said in a press release. Through this, the municipality had been saving Rs. 1.5 lakh a month. It had been saving Rs. 2.25 lakh, including its spending on electricity that amounted to Rs. 75,000, he added. Following the success of the project, the scheme was being implemented at 32 municipalities in the State, he added.