Sewage in Ahmedabad to generate 50,000 cm/d
Gas from sewage is a novel idea and one taken seriously by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) which wants to turn excrement into gold! Ahmedabad municipal authorities will be 'flush' with cash once sales begin of 15,000 cm/d ‘biogas’ to factories next year (2014) from a pilot to produce gas from sewage.
"Until now we have been flaring the gas," says AMC sewage chairman Suresh Patel. “With this project we will put it to productive use.
” If the scheme is extended to all seven AMC treatment plants, up to 50,000 cm/d will be available. AMC will kick off the ambitious project at its Pirana sewage treatment plant.
Two companies have been shortlisted to collect, process and market the gas: Jaipur-based Rockstone Infrastructure and Vadodara-based Maverik Biomethane. Ten companies sent in EoIs by April 16 and five companies sent a Request for Proposal on July 26 this year.
“Rockstone and Maverik offered the same price of Rs9.18/cm ($0.14) for the sewage gas," reports a source. "They will supply to local factories after adding margins and taxes.
" Rockstone has asked AMC for 4000-sq metres land to set up a Rs11cr ($1.75m) gas processing plant Maverik wants 20,234-square metres for a similar facility. Rockstone tells us it is confident it can complete the project in six months if it wins.
AMC sources say they want to award the contract by January.