The Times of India                26.09.2013

Driven by solar, Greater Cochin Development Authority tightens purse strings

KOCHI: Solar may have come to mean corruption in the state. But the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is certainly not blinking, preferring to instead save money and give a boost to the much-maligned source of alternative energy.

The authority is all set to commission the 60 kVA solar power station at its head office in Kadavanthra next month. Once the power station becomes operational, it hopes to save about Rs 8 lakh per annum in electricity bills.

At present, GCDA is footing a monthly electricity bill of about Rs 1.4 lakh. "The installation of solar panels will almost halve the electricity charge and the authority will be able to save at least Rs 60,000 per month," said GCDA chairman N Venugopal. In the first phase of the project, the solar station will power third and fourth floors of the office building.

The panels installed at the head office are expected to generate 40 units of power a day. The development authority requires about 3,000 to 4,000 units of power a month. "This will enable us to meet almost half our energy requirement," he added. Moreover, when there is a power disruption, the solar station will reduce the dependency on generator and minimize the use of diesel. The power generated from the solar panels will be saved in 32 batteries.

According to GCDA, the authority has spent Rs 49 lakh for setting up solar panels, batteries and transformer required for storing the energy generated. The total project cost is about 70 lakh, and the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has provided 30% of the project cost.

The panels have been installed by the Pune-based company, Photonix India Ltd, and United Electricals Ltd, a state government enterprise. Speaking on firms entrusted with the job, Venugopal said that Photonix was registered with the MNRE Photonix India Ltd and has a valid licence for installing panels. The cells of the panels have been imported from Germany.

"Two weeks ago, engineers from MNRE had inspected the site and given necessary sanctions. After commissioning the power station, another expert from MNRE will come down and inspect the system," he added. Following the approval of experts, MNRE will release 30% of the project cost to the company. For the project, GCDA began the tendering process in March 2013 and an order was placed in May. Earlier this year, the authority installed solar panels on an experimental basis in its garden at a cost of Rs 80,000. In the next phase, GCDA is planning to power the first and second floors using solar panels. Except elevators, all other systems in the office will use solar power.

The Indian Express             24.09.2013

With MC nod in, city to get two bio gas plants soon

The Municipal Corporation on Monday approved installation of two bio gas plants. These would process the waste that the already existing garbage processing plant is not accepting. The waste would be converted into methane that would be utilised for the purpose of generating power.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the General House held here. The report of the project was prepared after a team comprising the mayor, two councillors and two officials visited a similar plant at Matheran that has been established by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

The garbage processing plant at Dadumajra does not process food waste or horticulture waste. This is being taken directly to the dumping ground. Due to this, the dumping ground is likely to fill up within the next three to four years. Attempts to find additional space for a dumping ground have proven futile till now, with there not being much space in Chandigarh.

The plant requires a space of around two kanals to be set up. It is proposed that in Chandigarh a 5-metric tonne plant be installed. It costs between Rs 15 and 20 lakh to set up a 1-metric tonne plant. Four sites have been identified. These are a horticulture store near Shanti Kunj in Sector 16, old tile factory in Industrial Area, cement factory in Sector 26 and the other near the existing garbage plant.

Municipal Commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh said a lot of resources were wasted in transportation of garbage. "It is proposed that small plants be installed at places where food waste is produced. The plants do not produce any odour. These have been installed in parks near residential

areas at Pune. The dumping site is filling up fast and some alternative is required," he said.

Prior to the visit of the team from MC to Matheran, Sharad P Kale, an expert in waste management, had visited the city to assess the situation here.

The plants would have a comprehensive operation and maintenance component of 10 years from the company that sets it up.

Asserting that there was a need to ensure segregation of the garbage, councillor Pardeep Chhabra who was part of the team said rules should be enforced to ensure that segregation of garbage takes place at the source. Otherwise, output of the plant would be affected.

Congress sour over proposal

The objections to the proposal and the tour were not received from the councillors in the Opposition, including BJP and SAD, but from the Congress.

Congress councillor Sat Prakash Aggarwal alleged that the tour by the team was held overnight without informing anyone. He said the MC was working in a hurry and immediately after returning from the tour the proposal had been made. Mayor Subhash Chawla clarified that the tour was not made overnight and was not by any private company, but by a government enterprise.

Congress councillor Raj Bala Malik raised objections that when last year as a mayor she had gone to NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute), the report by the team on garbage management had been outrightly rejected. She demanded that the report be tabled at the next meeting of the House.