Potential to generate 15,000 mw through co-generation:Muttemwar

New Delhi, Aug 30 (UNI) The government today said the country has potential to generate about 15,000 MW power through co-generation in various core industries including pulp and paper industry, breweries, textile mills, rice mills and solvent extraction units.

Inaugurating the National Workshop on Promotion of Co-generation/Captive Power Plants in Pulp and Paper Mills, organised by the Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Minister of Non-Conventional Energy Sources Vilas Muttemwar said the waste generated by rapid industrialisation can be utilised for generating power through waste-to-energy conversion technologies.

This can address the challenge of waste disposal and Green House Gas (GHG) emission besides making the industry self-dependent for power. Mr Muttemwar explained the imperative to encourage greater use of renewable energy and to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the backdrop of crude oil prices crossing 75 dollars a barrel and coal prices doubling in international market in recent years.

The minister emphasised the importance of such projects in the paper and pulp sector, which is one of the energy intensive and highly polluting sector. He underlined the fact that compared to average fuel consumption per unit output by various industries in India, this sector consumes twice the amount of fuels.

He added that paper industry is eminently suited for power co-generation as 75-85 per cent of energy is required for process heat and 15-25 per cent as electrical power.

Further, large quantity of waste water generated in pulp and paper industry can be used for generating biogas through biomethanation of the effluents, which in turn can be utilised for production of thermal energy electricity.

Mr Muttemwar also informed that his ministry is implementing various programmes and schemes for installation of co-generation projects based on biomass and energy recovery from industrial waste.

Financial assistance has been extended to encourage setting up of such projects, which in addition to providing energy and helping in creative disposal of waste, also helps to cut down transmission and distribution losses.

Mr Muttemwar released the National Master Plan (NMP) for Development of Waste-to-Energy prepared by the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources under the UNDP assisted project on High Rate Biomethanation Processes.

He said that the NMP provides a framework for waste-to-energy programme for the country by covering all the waste streams from urban and industrial sector. The primary objective of NMP is to catalyse additional decentralised power generation capacity through projects for energy recovery from urban and industrial wastes in a cost-effective manner, by deployment of technologies that are suitable to the Indian conditions.

The NMP is expected to serve as a road map for planning and implementation of projects in the urban and industrial sectors, in a phased manner over the next decade.

The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources has organised the one-day workshop in association with Cogeneration Association of India and Indian Agro and Recycled Paper Mills Association to discuss various issues including Policy and Financing, Technology Configurations and Case Studies and Action Plan for promotion of Cogen/Captive Power Plants at Pulp and Paper Mills.

The workshop was attended by representatives of industry from all over the country along with State Nodal Agencies.

UNI RT CS KN1624