msw energy landscape

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India MSW to Energy

A White Paper by EAI


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Preface

With growing public awareness about sanitation, and with increasing pressure on the

government and urban local bodies to manage waste more efficiently, the Indian solid waste

to energy sector is poised to grow at a rapid pace in the years to come, opening up

attractive investment opportunities. As the industry is relatively new in India, a better

understanding of these opportunities in the Indian waste to energy sector is essential for

investment decisions.

The objective of this white paper is to provide inputs on the potential and opportunities of

the Indian municipal solid waste to energy industry. The white paper has a special emphasis

on practical and actionable intelligence for Indian entrepreneurs and businesses.

This document has been prepared by Energy Alternatives India (EAI), a leading Indian

research and consulting firm with a focus on renewable energy and clean technology.

I hope you find this whitepaper useful in your efforts to venture into the Indian solid waste to

energy industry.

Narasimhan Santhanam

Cofounder and Director

Energy Alternatives India (EAI) www.eai.in

[email protected]
http://www.eai.in/http://www.eai.in/http://www.eai.in/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.eai.in/


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Contents

Preface ....................................................................................................................................... 1

Key Takeaways .......................................................................................................................... 7

1. Potential for Municipal Solid Waste to Energy ................................................................. 8

1.1 Introduction to Waste ................................................................................................................................ 8

1.2 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) ............................ ................................. ................................. ................... 8

1.3 Municipal Solid Waste Generation and Management Scenario in India ............................ .... 9

1.4 Potential for MSW to Energy in India ............................... ................................ ................................ .... 9

1.5 Technological Routes for MSW to Energy ................................ ................................ ....................... 10

1.6 Prevalent Deficiencies in the MSW Management System in India .............................. ........... 13

1.7 Key Drivers Enhancing MSW Management and MSW to Energy ................................ ........... 14

1.8 Future Trends in MSW Generation, Management and Energy Recovery ............................ 15

2. What are the Opportunities in MSW to Energy for your Business? .............................. 16

2.1 MSW Value Chain .............................. ................................. ................................. ............................... ....... 16

2.2 Business Opportunities along the MSW Value Chain...................................................... ............ 172.3 Owning and Operating Solid Waste Management Facilities .............................. ...................... 18

2.4 Strategic and Financial Benefits from Waste to Energy Business ................................ ........... 19

2.5 Potential Risks and Barriers in the MSW to Energy Business ............................. ...................... 20

3. Is Waste to Energy the Right Opportunity for Your Business?...................................... 21

3.1 Companies that Could Benefit from the Waste to Energy Sector ............................... ........... 21

3.2 Key Success Factors and Competencies for Waste to Energy Business .............................. . 22

3.3 Key Indian Players in the MSW to Energy Sector .............................. ................................. ........... 23

4. Summary ............................................................................................................................. 24

Waste to Energy Support from EAI ...................................................................................... 25

EAI Services for the Waste to Energy Sector ....................................................................... 26

Why EAI for Waste to Energy? .............................................................................................. 27
http://192.168.1.103/naras%20d/NS/EAI/White%20Papers/Waste%20to%20energy/MSW%20Landscape%20-%20Dec%202011/Dec_2_MSW_Energy_Landscape.docx%23_Toc310603553http://192.168.1.103/naras%20d/NS/EAI/White%20Papers/Waste%20to%20energy/MSW%20Landscape%20-%20Dec%202011/Dec_2_MSW_Energy_Landscape.docx%23_Toc310603553http://192.168.1.103/naras%20d/NS/EAI/White%20Papers/Waste%20to%20energy/MSW%20Landscape%20-%20Dec%202011/Dec_2_MSW_Energy_Landscape.docx%23_Toc310603553


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Key Takeaways About 115000 tons of solid waste is generated per day in the country. This

figure could be twice as much by 2020.

Municipal solid waste is a potential source for recyclable and inert

materials and can produce value added products, in addition to energy

recovery.

Business opportunities in waste to energy exist in all three stages of waste

to energy Waste Transportation, Waste Management Facilities, and

Waste Processing for Energy Recovery.

Indian government actively encourages private sector participation in

MSW value chain through a variety of business and operational models.

Currently, biomethanation and incineration are the most prevalent and

mature technologies for MSW to energy in India. Gasification and

pyrolysis are the emerging technologies.

Inadequate segregation at source, sub-optimal regulations and incentives,

inadequate treatment facilities and immature technologies are some of

the key challenges in this sector.

Key success factors in waste to energy include optimal technology,

efficient operations, focus on costs, and emphasis on environmental

protection.

Some of the prominent companies working in the Indian waste to energy

sector include: Ramky Enviro Engineers, A2Z, Hanjer Biotech Energies and

SELCO International.


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1. Potential for Municipal Solid Waste to Energy

1.1 Introduction to Waste

Growth of population, increasing urbanization and rising standards of living have contributed

to an increase both in the quantity and variety of wastes generated by various activities.

Broadly, waste can be classified as urban waste, industrial waste, biomass waste and

biomedical waste.

Urban

Waste

Wastes from households, commercial activities etc. (excluding waste arising

from mining, construction or demolition processes etc.). This includes

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Sewage and Fecal sludge.

IndustrialWaste

Solid, semi-solid, liquid, or gaseous or residual materials (excluding

hazardous or biodegradable wastes from industrial operations)

Biomass

Waste

Biomass waste is defined as biomass by-products, residues and waste streams

from agriculture, forestry, and related industries.

Medical

Waste

Waste generated at health care facilities, such as hospitals, blood banks as well

as medical research facilities and laboratories.

1.2 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) includes commercial and residential wastes generated in

municipal or notified areas in either solid or semi-solid form. It consists of household waste,

construction and demolition debris, sanitation residue, waste from streets and so forth. Some

of the constituents of MSW are given in the figure below.

Biodegr

adable

50%Recycla-

bles

20%

Inerts

22%

Others

8%

Composition of MSW in India

Kitchen

waste

Agro-waste

Vegetable

waste

Garden

waste

Recyclables Inerts

Plastic

Paper

Syringes

Tablets

Tin can

Metals

Glass

Sand

Pebbles

Gravels

Organics

Classification and Composition of MSW in India

Source: CPCB, NEERI

Municipal Solid Waste


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1.3 Municipal Solid Waste Generation and Management Scenario in India

Indian per capita waste generation is 0.2 0.6 kg/day, which is estimated to increase at1.33% annually. As per estimates, 115000 tons of solid waste is generated per day in the

country. Management of MSW remains one of the most neglected areas of urban

development in India.

MSW management in India involves the interplay of six functional elements - generation of

waste, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing and recovery and disposal.

Most of the MSW generated is dumped into land or in the outskirts of the city without any

treatment. Municipal agencies spend about 5-25% of their budget on MSW management. In

spite of such expenditure, the present level of service in many urban areas is so low thatthere is a threat to public health and environmental quality.

1.4 Potential for MSW to Energy in India

MNRE estimates that there exists a potential for generating about 1500 MW of power from

the municipal solid wastes in the country. The potential is likely to increase further with

economic development. The state-wise break-up of the potential for power production from

MSW, is presented in the following table.

Potential for Recovery of Electrical Energy (MW) from Municipal Solid Wastes by Indian States

State/

Union Territory

Recovery Potential

(MW)

State/

Union Territory

Recovery Potential

(MW)

Andhra Pradesh 107.0 Maharashtra 250.0

Assam 6.0 Manipur 1.5

Bihar 67.0 Meghalaya 1.5

Chandigarh 5.0 Mizoram 1.0

Chhattisgarh 22.0 Orissa 19.0

Delhi 111.0 Pondicherry 2.0

Gujarat 98.0 Punjab 39.0

Haryana 18.0 Rajasthan 53.0

Himachal Pradesh 1.0 Tamil Nadu 137.0

Jharkhand 8.0 Tripura 1.0

Karnataka 125.0 Uttar Pradesh 154.0

Kerala 32.0 Uttaranchal 4.0

Madhya Pradesh 68.0 West Bengal 126.0

Source: TERI and MNRE


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Highlights from the Table

MNRE estimates that the energy recovery potential from MSW could go up to 5200 MW

by 2017. Of the existing potential, only about 24 MW has been exploited, which is less

than 1.5% of the total potential.

Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh

with heavy urban population and industrialized economy generate increased loads of

MSW and have significant power recovery potential - over 100 MW each.

Delhi, owing to its high population density, has an energy potential nearly equivalent to

that of Andhra Pradesh

Gujarat, being industrially advanced, holds significant promise for energy generation

from urban wastes.

Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Orissa and Jharkhand exhibit only moderate potential for energy

from MSW in spite of relatively dense population.

1.5 Technological Routes for MSW to Energy

Energy can be recovered from the organic fraction of waste (biodegradable as well as non-

biodegradable) through thermo-chemical and biochemical methods. Incineration of RDF

pellets for power generation and biomethanation are currently the preferred technologies

for MSW to energy in India.

Some emerging technologies such as fermentation, plasma pyrolysis, microwave waste

destruction and laser waste destruction exist and are at various stages of commercial uptake.

These merit a continuing review to assess their relevance for possible application to the

treatment of specific waste types under Indian conditions.

The pathways illustrating the primary MSW to energy technologies are highlighted below:


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Major MSW to Energy Technologies and Pathways

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Collection and transportation from point of generation

Storage and segregation

Inerts (sand, stones, etc.)

Landfill

Recyclables

Broken glass-

containers,

bottles, cups etc

High moisture biodegradables (kitchen wastes

etc

Low moisture organics (Polythene, rubber tyres etc)

Organics (Hydro-carbon

materials)

Anaerobic Digestion Gasification Pyrolysis Incineration/Combustion

Producer Gas SyngasBiogas

(Methane)

Syn-diesel &

Gasoline

Electricity Transport Fuel

Organic

compounds

(methanol,

acetic acid

etc)

Pyrolytic gas Biochar

Heat/Cold Applications

Ceramics, concrete

aggregates, recycled

glass countertops

Ferrous and non-

ferrous metals,

plastics

Cans, tins, pipes etc

Digestate

Fertilizer

FT ProcessFermentation

Ethanol

Ash

Construction

material

Chemical

feedstock

(flavors,

adhesives etc)

Bio-oil


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1.5.1 Comparative Evaluation between various MSW to Energy Technologies

Parameters Gasification Pyrolysis Incineration Biomethanation

Method Thermochemical Thermochemical Thermal Biochemical

End-Products Producer gas

Syngas, Biochar

Biooil, Biochar,

Pyrolytic gas

Heat , Ash Methane, Compost

Process principle Partial oxidative

Conversion

Reductive

transformation

Complete

oxidative

conversion

Anoxygenic

microbial

transformation

Feedstock

Requirements

Dry wastes of

synthetic and

biological origin

Dry wastes of

synthetic and

biological origin

Dry wastes of

synthetic and

biological origin

Fluid rich

biodegradable

wastes.

Temperature

Requirements (C)

500-1300 380-530 700-1400 35-70

Cost (Capital &

O&M)

High High Medium-high Medium-High

Prominence in India Emerging Not proven Prominent Most prominent

Future Potential High Potential Moderate Moderate High Potential

Efficiency (%) 70-80 70-80 50-60 50-70

Role for catalysts Non-catalytic Non-catalytic Non-catalytic Catalytic

Environmental issues

Concerns with toxic

gases, organic

compounds

emissions and char

generation.

Constraints remain

as tar depositions,

char and volatile

organics emissions.

Ash discharges

and evolution of

toxic gases from

partial

combustion aslimitations.

Probability for

liberation of

irresistible, pungent

odor from wastes.

Feedstock

Preprocessing

Method

Shredding and

drying

Drying Drying and

pelletization

Sedimentation of

organic sludge

Permitted moisture

content of feedstock


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1.6 Prevalent Deficiencies in the MSW Management System in India

There is a lack of proper MSWM services in the country primarily due to financial constraintsof ULBs, institutional problems within the departments, fragile links with other concerned

agencies, lack of suitable staff, and other allied problems. Some of the deficiencies in the

MSWM system in India include the following:

No Storage and Segregation of Waste at Source

Source storage and segregation of waste based on degradability and hazards and

recyclables separation is rarely done in India. Most households, shops, and establishments

throw their waste just outside their premises, on streets, in drains, in open spaces, in water

bodies, and in other inappropriate places. Insufficient segregation at source results in

suboptimal performance of MSW to energy activities.

Operational Inefficiencies in Primary Collection of Waste

Authorities consider themselves responsible only for waste collection at street collection

points and fail to provide doorstep collection service. Even though such service is now

mandated in the rules, lack of standardized procedures and irregularity in sweeping

accumulates the waste to remain in streets. Such operational deficiencies will result in high

costs for energy recovery.

Inappropriate System of Secondary Storage of Waste

Transfer station infrastructures (waste depot sites) are not spacious and are constructed

with a fore vision to store increasing loads of solid waste. They are often very poorly

designed and are not synchronized with the primary collection system.

Irregular Transport of Waste in Open Vehicles

Open trucks and tractors used to transport waste are loaded manually. This time-

consuming activity results in loss of labor productivity and increases the occupational

health risk to workers.

Lack of Waste Treatment and Inappropriate Disposal at Open Dumping Grounds

The MSW generated in Indian cities is, by and large, not treated but is directly taken to the

open dumpsites. Indiscriminate mixing of concrete debris with MSW makes landfill sites

irreversibly unsuitable for any energy recovery activity.Although India is known for its age-

old technology of composting agricultural waste, composting of municipal organic waste

has been a rarity.


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1.7 Key Drivers Enhancing MSW Management and MSW to Energy

Stringent legislative procedures and environmental consciousness drive the effectivemanagement of MSW to rescue the large socio-economic mass in the nation from hazardous

effects of municipal waste. Some of the key drivers for enhancing municipal solid waste

management in India are provided below:

Legal Technological Environmental

The laws and regulations in

India at the municipal andcity levels are becoming

stringent than ever before.

The consequent threat of

penalties could act as an

important driver for MSW

management (MSWM)

Though the ability of

technology to support MSWMis still limited, development of

new and more effective

technologies will act as a key

driver to shape the progress of

MSW management industry.

The increasing awareness and

concern among public andgovernment for protection of

environment is one of the key

drivers for MSWM.

Socio Economic Developmental and

Competitive

Incentives

The poorer sections of the

society get affected most by

the harmful consequences

of unmanaged waste. With

Indian cities comprising

large populations under

poverty level, significant

health problems andsocietal trauma are

encountered.

Competition between cities to

provide a clean city with good

municipal environmental

infrastructure, in order to

attract investment can be a key

driver. This appears to be

particularly important in India

where competition for foreigninformation technology

investment is strong.

A number of current and

emerging incentives CDM or

carbon credits, capital subsidies,

high feed in tariffs and other

fiscal incentives such as tax

holidays- can accelerate adoption

of waste to energy


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1.8 Future Trends in MSW Generation, Management and Energy Recovery

Now Future

MSW Generation

Amount of MSW

Generated in India

55 million tonnes / Year 300 - 400 million tonnes/year by

2030

Waste Composition

Organic fraction of MSW

constitute the highest

percentage followed by inerts

Organic fraction of MSW will

increase slightly. While inert

materials will decrease

considerably, the recyclable

fraction, consisting of plastic,paper, and glass, will increase.

MSW Management

MSW Management

The institutional constraints

within the state government and

urban local bodies machinery,

such as lack of technical experts

to identify bankable public-

private partnerships (PPP)

projects, have resulted in poorlyconceived PPP framework and

projects.

New trends will emerge as Public

Private Partnerships (PPP) models

gain pace with municipalities

desiring to bring in outside

expertise, technology, and project

management skills to improve

service and delivery efficiency.

MSW to Energy

Energy Recovery

Potential

1500 MW 5200 MW by 2017

Energy Recovery

Options from MSW

Biomethanation and

incineration of RDF Pellets

Plasma arc gasification and ash

melting technology, thermal

decomposition technology for

dioxins.


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2. What are the Opportunities in MSW to Energy for your

Business?

2.1 MSW Value Chain

In many Indian cities, the MSW collection, segregation, transportation, processing and

disposal are already being carried out by private companies under the operational control of

the respective municipal corporations, and the state governments enforce regulatory

policies.

A typical waste handling system in a country like India includes the following elements: waste

generation and storage, segregation, reuse, and recycling at the household level, primarywaste collection and transport to a transfer station or community bin, management of the

transfer station or community bin, secondary collection and transport to the waste disposal

site (or) energy recovery facility, waste disposal in landfills (or) processing for energy

recovery.

The schematic sketch below illustrates the steps carried out in managing the solid wastes in

India.

MSW Collection to Energy Value Chain

Collection and

Transportation

Transfer

station

Processing

for Energy

Recovery

Recyclable

Materials

Separated

Disposal to

Landfills

Waste

Transportation

Source

Storage andSegregation


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2.2 Business Opportunities along the MSW Value Chain

Business opportunities are present in every component mentioned above. The variedbusiness opportunities that exist along the MSW value chain has been discussed below:

MSW Value Chain Business Opportunities

Primary collection and

segregation of inerts,

dry organics and

others.

Collection of reusable plastics and metals etc for sale in local

market.

Waste Processing and sell RDF pellets to biomass power

plants.

Mobilizing construction debris to make tiles and bricks

Separation of wet

organic wastes

Production and sale compost to bio fertilizer firms.

Biogas based power generation from sludge for selling it to

the grid.

Secondary collection

and storage

Maintenance of transfer stations

High throughput screening of materials for recycling, energy

recovery and land fill disposals.

Recycling of wastes Recyclable commodity transactions from transfer stations

Sale of recycled plastic or metal granules

Conversion of processed wastes to industrial commodities

Transportation and

logistics

Transporting solid waste from the source to the landfill or to

the processing centers for energy recovery.

Revenues from automobile manufacturing and sales to

corporate bodies and contract holders etc

MSW to energy

recovery

Production of machineries and equipments for energy

recovery technologies

Decentralized technology installations.

Power generation and sale of power

Production and sale of processed organic feed stocks from

MSW

Income from Certified Emission Reductions(CERs)

Management of wastes

at dumpsite

Design and construction of secured landfills

Urban landscape development at abandoned landfills

Organization/financing

for service and value

chain enterprises

Debt and equity financing


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2.3 Owning and Operating Solid Waste Management Facilities

Indian government actively promotes the private sector participation in MSW value chainthrough development of defined business models on contract term basis. The various

business opportunities and models for private sector participation in Indian MSW value chain

are summarized in the following table.

*BOOT Build Own Operate Transfer; BOO- Build Own Operate; DBFOT- Design Build Finance Operate Transfer; MC-

Management Contract; MRTS- Mechanized Refuse Transfer Station

The general PPP contract structure for an MSW to energy processing facility operating on BOT

model is illustrated below

Nominal lease rentals Power Purchase Agreement

Min assured MSW quantity

Royalty/Tipping Fee per MT

Payments againstsale of power

Grants= % X of Project cost

Source:http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/Term_Sheet_Processing.pdf

Operations in MSW Business Model Average tenure of the

project (years)

Collection, transportation and

cleaning

MC/Service

contract/BOOT*

3-8

Development of transfer station

and transportation

MRTS & BOOT/DBFOT 20

Waste processing facility to

derive energy

BOOT/DBFOT/BOO* 20-35

Development of sanitary

landfills and post closure

maintenance

MC/DBFOT* 3-20

Integrated MSW Management Mostly on BOOT 20- 30 (Some project

tenures are linked to thelife of the assets)

Municipality

/ULB/

State

Agency

State Electricity Board

(SEB)

Contractor for waste

processing
http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/Term_Sheet_Processing.pdfhttp://www.urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/Term_Sheet_Processing.pdfhttp://www.urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/Term_Sheet_Processing.pdfhttp://www.urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/Term_Sheet_Processing.pdf


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2.4 Strategic and Financial Benefits from Waste to Energy Business

Profitability - If the right technology is employed with optimal processes and allcomponents of waste are used to derive value, waste to energy could be a profitable

business. When government incentives are factored in, the attractiveness of the business

increases further.

Government Incentives - The government of India already provides significant

incentives for waste to energy projects, in the form of capital subsidies and feed in tariffs.

With concerns on climate change, waste management and sanitation on the increase (a

result of this increasing concern is the newly formed ministry exclusively for Drinking

Water and Sanitation), the government incentives for this sector is only set to increase infuture.

Related Opportunities - Success in municipal solid waste management could lead to

opportunities in other waste such as sewage waste, industrial waste and hazardous

waste. Depending on the technology/route used for energy recovery, eco-friendly and

green co-products such as charcoal, compost, nutrient rich digestate (a fertilizer) or

bio-oil can be obtained. These co-product opportunities will enable the enterprise to

expand into these related products, demand for which are increasing all the time.

Emerging Opportunities - With distributed waste management and waste to energy

becoming important priorities, opportunities exist for companies to provide support

services like turnkey solutions. In addition, waste to energy opportunities exist not just in

India but all over the world. Thus, there could be significant international expansion

possibilities for Indian companies, especially expansion into other Asian countries.


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2.5 Potential Risks and Barriers in the MSW to Energy Business

Policy & Regulatory Barriers

Lack of clarity of government policies and incentives While MSW management is an

important aim for every state government and municipal body in India, this goal has not

translated itself into clear policies on contracts, feed-in-tariffs and other incentives.

Lack of initiatives from key stakeholdersWhile the roles of the various stakeholders ULBs,

pollution control boards etc are clear on paper, there is lack of proactive measures and

initiatives from many of these stakeholders. This is a bottleneck for MSW projects that depend

so much on governmental approvals for many aspects.

Environmental & legalSome MSW to energy plants in India, as well as worldwide, have been

the subject of litigation from environmentalists, society activists and NIMBY neighborhood

residents. This has been especially true for incineration-based projects, which are still the

dominant technology for MSW-based power plants.

Financial Barriers

Most solid waste to energy projects are capital intensive. Raising significant capital for an

emerging sector is often difficult.

Poor financial standing of the state utilities along, with lack of proper policy back up from the

government has resulted in uncertainties over timely revenues from sale of power. Debt

instruments dont usually work when the revenue stream is unattractive.

Availability of waste at zero or near-zero cost which is a vital part of the revenue model, but

this is not achievable on a consistent basis

Waste to energy projects are considered as an unsafe investment by some due to lack of short

term returns

Technological Barriers

Some of the emerging technology options large scale gasification for instance - are yet to be

proven on a commercial scale.

The characteristics of waste vary with region, source and scale, resulting in uncertainties over

optimal designs and processes.

Lack of indigenously developed technology and skilled manpower for emerging process routes

such as gasification and pyrolysis.

Other Barriers

Long lead time for completing all the formalities/ documentation and getting all the approvals.

Lack of expertise to understand, develop, appraise and put in place a structured and viable

business model for these projects.

Shifting priorities of the urban local bodies from waste-to-energy to other issues resulting in

diversion of funds and other support.

Lack of clarity for investors in the roles and responsibilities of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

(Public Health and Engineering Departments (PHEDs), Boards, Municipalities, etc).


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3. Is Waste to Energy the Right Opportunity for Your

Business?

3.1 Companies that Could Benefit from the Waste to Energy Sector

Companies in domains such as renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass etc.), Engineering,

Procurement and Construction (EPC), transportation and logistics, sanitation and

environment, small and large scale power plants, facilities management etc will be ideally

suited for the waste to energy business. The table below outlines the type of companies that

will be benefitted in each part of the waste to energy value chain.

Segregation of dry waste, re-usable, inerts etc

Segregation of wet wastesand processing

Transport and logistics

Storage & secondarycollection

Recycling of wastes

MSW waste to energyrecovery

Management of wastes atlandfills

EPCs

Locomotive manufacturing companies (Heavy and Light)

Private vehicle service stations, Transport agencies

Part time workers under contract

Farmers

Fertilizer companies, Agro-market enterprises

Other informal sector participants

Recycling companies

Rag pickers

Other informal sector participants

EPCs

Construction companies

MSW junk shop owners

Logistic services

EPCs

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) operators

Intermediate material processing cottage units

Environmental engineering companies

Small and medium junk shop owners

Technology providers and fabricators

IPPs and CPPs

Service technicians

Producers and dealers of MSW derived RDF pellets.

EPCs

Civil infrastructure developers


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3.2 Key Success Factors and Competencies for Waste to Energy Business

Optimal technologyThe most appropriate technology depends on multiple aspects such

as amount of waste generated, degree of segregation and ultimate end product. It is critical

for the users of technology to consider all these aspects intensively before investing in a

specific technology.

Efficiency in every aspect of logistics and transportationEven in developed countries,

significant efficiencies can be incorporated into the logistics/transportation stage of the

waste management value chain. In developing countries such as India, the scope for

improvement in efficiencies is significant, and such improvements could have a significant

impact on the financial sustainability of the entire project

Ensuring benefits for all the stakeholders In India, waste management has diverse

stakeholders, some of them in the informal sector. Rag pickers represent one prominent

category in this context; another is the society in the vicinity of dump yards, landfills or waste

to energy power plants. Unless the business model is so structured as to provide benefits to

all the stakeholders, a number of operational and legal problems could arise.

Ensuring reliable supply of feedstock at low or no cost It is critical for the waste to

energy project developer to ensure that the generator of the waste or the municipal

corporation provides the waste at no cost, and in addition provides a tipping fee. The

processes for treatment of waste and subsequent energy generation are costly, and thesecosts need to be offset through zero cost feedstock and availability of additional

monetizations such as tipping fees.

Emphasis on environmentally sound practices along the entire operational value chain

Some incineration-based waste to energy plants in India as well as worldwide have faced

significant opposition from environmental regulators and civil society, owing to allegations

of pollutants being released to the environment. Such social and legal concerns could

severely affect the sustainability of waste to energy power plants. Power project owners need

to undertake extensive analysis of all the aspects along the value chain that could haveadverse environmental impacts, and devise suitable remediation plants.


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3.3 Key Indian Players in the MSW to Energy Sector

Company Headquarters Highlights

Biomethanation

M/S Asia Bio- energy Pvt

Ltd (ABIL)

Chennai Follows Biogas induced mixing arrangement-

(BIMA) technology for a 5.1 MW MSW to energy

project

Cicon Environment

Technologies

Bhopal Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB)

technology and activated sludge process are

followed in installations

Bermaco/WM Power Ltd Navi Mumbai Completed 11 MW biogas plant in Mumbai using

WABIO process.

Sound craft Industries Mumbai Installing 12.8 MW plant at Mumbai with

technology from Ericsons, USA

Hydroair Tectonics

Limited

Navi Mumbai Adopting aerated and UASB technologies for the

treatment of waste sludge and biogas generation

respectively.

Ramky Enviro Engineers

Ltd

Hyderabad Undertaking comprehensive biomethanation

projects coupled to secure composting and

landfills. Also involved in incineration and

presently operating India's largest waste

incinerator at Taloja, Maharashtra.

Combustion /IncinerationA2Z Group of Companies Gurgaon RDF based combustion technology with scope for

cogeneration of heat and power.

Hanjer Biotech Energies Mumbai Developing 15 MW combustion power plant in

Surat District with MSW based RDF pellets as fuel.

SELCO International

Limited

Hyderabad SELCO setup the first commercial Municipal Solid

Waste-processing unit in India in 1999. Have

installed 6.6 MW using RDF pellets as energy

source.East Delhi Waste

Processing Company Pvt

Ltd

New Delhi Implementing 10 MW incineration power plant

with MSW derived RDF pellets as fuel.

Gasification

Zanders Engineers

Limited

Mohali Has a collaborative gasification technology to

process multiple feedstocks including MSW for

power

UPL Environmental

Engineers Pvt Ltd

Vadodara Advanced gasification technology with

destruction efficiency of 99.9% and emissions well

below thresholds.*The above companies could in future be using multiple technologies and process routes


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4. Summary

The business of generating energy from solid waste (especially municipal solid waste fromurban areas) is entering a period of rapid growth in India. The dual pressing needs of waste

management and reliable renewable energy source are creating attractive opportunities for

investors and project developers. Early movers who have identified the right technologies are

poised to grow in this promising industry.

At the same time, significant barriers exist. The yet to be commercialized technologies, high

capital requirements, predominant dependence on government machineries for many parts

of the business value chain and a sub-optimal regulatory environment present significant

industry challenges. These challenges have resulted in many critical questions regardingwaste to energy/value project viability remaining unanswered.

The complexity of navigating through these challenges calls for a clear understanding of the

stakeholders and their roles, business models, and technologies behind the waste-to-energy

solutions. Given the need for critical knowledge on the viability of waste to energy projects

before venturing into this niche sector, assistance from an advisory and research firm is

imperative.

EAI has been researching the waste to energy sector in India for the past few years, and we

have developed an exhaustive understanding of the various technology options for waste toenergy. We have worked with prestigious clients such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

and Pepsi Co. for waste to energy projects, and can offer actionable market intelligence and

support for those keen on exploring this sector.


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Waste to Energy Support from EAI

If you are looking for business and technology support for waste toenergy, look no further than EAI.

Areas of Expertise in Waste Management

EAIs waste to energy division can provide extensive research and consulting assistance for

energy recovery from the following types of waste:

Municipal Solid Waste

Industrial Solid and Liquid Waste

Agro Residues and Crop Waste

Sewage Waste and Fecal Sludge

Hazardous Waste

Our team has excellent exposure to energy recovery using the following types of processes:

Anaerobic Digestion / Composting

Gasification

Pyrolysis / Thermal Depolymerization

Fermentation

Combustion / Incineration

Clients

EAI consulting team has been assisting several organizations in diverse renewable energy

domains. The fact that a major percentage of our business comes from client referrals bears

ample testimony to the quality of our research and consulting.

EAI has undertaken Waste to Energy research projects for many clients including global

clients such as Pepsico and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Some of our other esteemed consulting clients include

Reliance Industries Bhavik India Group

Vedanta Resources Green Concretex Global

World Bank Agarwal Group

Minda Group Jivanlal and Sons Group

iPLON GmbH Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce


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EAI Services for the Waste to Energy Sector

Market Intelligence Techno Commercial

Feasibility Consulting

Financial and Business

Advisory Services

Market and region specific

potential analysis and

forecasting for waste to

energy sector in India.

Intelligence on all the

current and emerging

technology or process

routes for waste to energy

Inputs on all the

government regulations orincentives and approvals

relating to waste

management and waste to

energy projects

Intelligence on current

incumbents and

stakeholders in the Indian

waste management and

waste to energy projects

Key success factors and

bottlenecks that critically

influence the waste to

energy industry in India.

Feasibility analysis for

different process or

technology routes

Identification of

technology transfer or joint

venture partners for

implementation

Financial modeling and

techno economic

valuations to assess the

viability of different waste

to energy technologies

Development of

unique business plans

to attract sources of

finance.

Development of

differentiated waste to

energy business

models with highest

value to all the

stakeholders

Investment structuring

and financing support

for waste to energy

projects

Leveraging CDM, REC

and other benefits to

increase the

attractiveness of waste

to energy projects


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Why EAI for Waste to Energy?

EAI is one of the few companies in India who have in depth knowledge of the market,

technology and business aspects of waste to energy industry across its entire value chain.

We have an exceptional understanding of the technology options and process routes for

waste management for diverse types and scale of waste.

Our past work on diverse assignments in waste to energy for global companies such as

Pepsi Co., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation etc., and our current assignments in this field

have provided our team with unique perspectives and insights on all the key challenges

and bottlenecks in the entire value chain.

Our large network of technical contacts for waste to energy in India and globally will

assist our clients get easier access to latest technological solutions.

Our multi-disciplinary team with chemical and biochemical technology professionals

ensures that our recommendations will always come with a seal of scientific approval.

Our management team comprising professionals from IITs and IIMs ensure that our

recommendations, blue prints and business models are powerful and state- of- the - art.

To know more on how EAI can assist you, contact

Narasimhan Santhanam

Mob: +91-90435 39679

Email:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

msw energy landscape

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