IIT-B gets new plant to process biowaste
MUMBAI: The Indian Institute of Technology-bombay (IIT-B) has taken another step to generate sustainable energy in their campus by setting up a biomethanation plant. This plant has a capacity to process two megatonnes of biodegradable waste in a day and will use food waste from the hostel kitchens to generate methane that can be used as cooking fuel.
IIT-B already boasts of a biogas plant near hostel number 3. “This biogas plant currently runs at half of its capacity of two megatons per day and can only fulfil 15% of the hostel’s requirements. The new biomethanation plant, on the contrary, takes in waste from the nearby hostels and can support up to 25% of the kitchen requirements for hostels 12, 13, 14,” said a student.
On Monday, students of the institute used their in-house magazine, Insight, to share this news with the rest of the campus. “Unlike the biogas plant at hostel 3, this new biomethanation plant does not require water to be added to the decomposition, subsequently, saving more water,” said another student.
This plant is one of the projects of the class of 1990 and was planned along with the Tata Centre, IIT-B administration and with the help of the Public Health Office (PHO). At present, this plant is being maintained and run by its manufacturer GPS Renewables, a Bangalore company. “Work has begun with an initial load of 300kg/day but will reach its full capacity in the next two months,” added the student.
Along with the biomethanation plant, the batch of 1990 has contributed to the Clean-green Campus initiative by installing solar panels in open areas and rooftops and initiating campus beautification through urban landscaping, art installations, construction debris removal, development and creation of an IIT museum, horticulture and more.
“An important part of the initiative is also to spread awareness and increase participation in green ideas, sponsoring a contest for the same annually,” said the students. With the IIT-B administration working to build two new hostels, they also plan to install similar biomethanation plants around them. “With new hostels and the Research Park coming up too, hopefully plants like these will help manage all of the campus’ wet waste,” added a senior faculty.