Food, meat waste saves electricity bills of Salem Corporation

SALEM: In a bid to reduce the electricity bill, the Salem Corporation opted to process food and meat waste at biomethanation plant for generation of electricity and prevented food and meat waste from getting dumped at Chettichavadi dump yard.

In 2017 the corporation built a biomethanation plant in Vaikkal Pattarai at a cost of Rs 90 lakh, of which Rs 81 lakh was paid by state government and rest Rs 9 lakh was spent by the civic body.

According to the corporation officials, the processing capacity of plant is five tonnes and it generate a maximum of 400 units of power from processed waste. The power generated from the plant is primarily used to power 10 hp motor of an overhead water tank in the district, when required they rout the power to operate motors at a sanitary block and animal birth control center nearby.

R Sadheesh, Commissioner, Salem Corporation said, “Food and meat waste collected from market and residences nearby are used at the plant. A generator room has been set up at the plant and the gas generated is converted to power using the generator. We have also placed a proposal to Tangedco to power 197 street lights in the area using the plant and connecting the power generated to the grid. It will further help save on electricity bills.”

The officials claimed that the use of the plant has saved them Rs 15,000 on monthly bills.

A similar biomethanation plant have been set up by the corporation at the gas crematorium in Sevappettai at a cost of Rs 45 lakh. Fish and meat waste collected from the market here is used to generate gas at the plant which is used to cremate bodies here. According to officials nearly a tonne of fish and meat waste is processed every day at the plant.

Sadheesh said that besides diversion of waste from Chettichavadi, it had also prevented clogging of waste in drains at the fish market area.