In an effort to become self-sufficient in waste management and reduce growing dependence on other states for waste disposal, Kerala is gearing up to keep most of the processing chain within the state, by setting up a centralised 500-tonne-a-day waste-toenergy plant and a network of refuse derived fuel (RDF) plants as part of its new fiveyear zero-waste campaign.
The proposed waste-toenergy facility is envisaged as the final link in a statewide system under which non-recyclable waste will be processed into RDF at regional facilities and subsequently used as feedstock for energy generation, according to a report in The New Indian Express.
Kerala depends on other states where large quantities of processed waste are currently sent for use in cement factories A senior local self-government department (LSGD) official said land for the proposed 500-tonne facility in Kochi has already been identified, while the Suchitwa Mission has appointed a consultant to take forward the project.
“Once the land is finalised, expressions of interest (EoIs) will be invited and an implementing agency will be deployed,” an official added. According to official sources, the Clean Kerala Company Ltd (CKCL) transport around 4,500 to 5000 tonnes of nonbiodegradable waste to cement factories in other states. The waste-to-energy plant is being planned alongside 12 regional RDF plants.
Five RDF facilities already operate in the private sector, while several of the proposed facilities are at different stages of development. The facilities are expected to be distributed geographically so that waste can be processed closer to its source.
The objective is to create a continuous chain — from household-level collection and segregation to processing at RDF plants and finally conversion into energy — rather than relying on the long-distance movement of waste to facilities outside the state,” the official said.
Going waste-free
Chief Minister V D Satheesan will launch the people-centric campaign in North Paravur, Ernakulam, with the ambitious goal of making the state waste-free by March 30, 2031.
The campaign, led by the LSGD and coordinated by Suchitwa Mission, envisages a comprehensive overhaul of solid and liquid waste management, with greater emphasis on waste reduction, resource recovery, recycling and scientific treatment.
