The Indian Express 04.12.2013
22 international firms keen to manage, treat city’s garbage
Twenty-two foreign firms have responded to an expression of interest
(EoI) issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s solid waste
management (SWM) department for developing waste-to-energy and
waste-processing technologies from the city’s refuse.
The EoI received 31 responses, 19 of which are joint ventures and
consortia proposals and 12 are single firm proposals. Companies from
Israel, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, the US, China, South Korea, Japan
and the UAE participated in the EoI.
The initiative is part of the corporation’s attempt to ease
pressure off the city’s landfills at Deonar and Mulund, which have
exceeded capacity as the appointed contractors have resisted processing
garbage due to problems in land-lease agreement. The proposed waste
processing plants will be set up at Mumbai’s various transfer stations.
The city generates nearly 6,500 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste
and 2,000-2,500 metric tonnes of construction waste (debris and silt)
daily. A provision of Rs 100.8 crores has been made in the civic budget
for this project this year; additionally some components will be funded
under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
The civic body will now approach the Union finance ministry for
appointing one of its empanelled transaction advisors to select eligible
bids before issuing the request for proposal (RFP) for setting up the
waste-processing technology on a public-private-partnership basis.
“After we select these, the proposal will have to obtain environmental
clearances and other permissions from the Centre. We expect to issue the
RFP within three months,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Prakash
Patil.
As per the revised plan, the corporation will share the capital
expenditure for setting up the plant with the company. “In our previous
experience, we found that our revenue expenditure was going up
considerably. We have now decided to share the capital costs,”
Additional Municipal Commissioner Mohan Adtani had said.
Among the international companies that have participated in the
bidding process are Oil Spill Eater International, Corp (USA), which has
been employed by the US Navy, Air Force and Marines, Averda
International (UAE), Hitachi Zosen Innova AG (Japan), MARTIN Gmbh
(Germany) and Jiangxi Jianglian International Engineering Co Ltd
(China).
Three firms each from Germany, Malaysia and China have shown
interest. They have entered in joint ventures and consortia with Indian
companies. Two firms each from Switzerland, Singapore, and the UAE have
responded to the EOI. The Jindal group, whose waste-processing
technology the BMC has evinced interest in acquiring, has also
participated in the EOI as Jindal ITF in a consortium with the Indian
firm Hubtown and Innovative Eco-Care Pvt Ltd from Gujarat.
The current contractors UPL Environmental Engineers, who are
managing the two landfills, have also participated with German firm MDSE
MDH. Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, which was in the news for ineffective
garbage collection in K-West and K-East wards, has also participated in
the bid.