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India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has announced that it will implement a waste-to-energy technology that has been developed by a Chennai-based orthopaedic surgeon. NTPC said that it will use the “torrefied coal”, made out of carbonised waste, in its power plants in Varanasi, Bhopal, Indore, and Hubli for power generation.
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Amit Kulsreshtha, General Manager – New Initiatives for NTPC, said: “The idea is to carbonise solid waste in low oxygen conditions and convert the material into coal. Because there is no oxygen involved in the process, and the carbonisation is taking place with external heat, the conversion process is not toxic, and the carbonised output is of usable quality for power plants. The product is cost-competitive, and at times cheaper than the market price of regular coal. The idea came from Chennai-based inventor Dr SK Sivakumar, which we co-developed. The project is likely to see fruition in the next 7-8 months.” He went on to say: “We have the capacity to load 600 tonnes of waste every day at the Varanasi plant. After the carbonising process, 400 tonnes of coal will be generated, from which we will be able to generate close to one GWh.”
Dr Sivakumar said: “As a doctor, I was exposed on a daily basis to seeing heaps of medical waste. I thought of applying a technique to upcycle the waste, and this piece of carbon was formed. I am still finalising things with NTPC about how it will be implemented to help clean up India of urban waste.”