More biogas plants planned as city boosts wet waste processing

Bengaluru plans more biogas plants to enhance wet waste processing, boosting renewable energy and sustainable waste management efforts.

The Bangalore Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) is expanding its biomethanation infrastructure to convert wet waste into biogas, with new large-scale projects in the pipeline. 

The waste management agency has undertaken the construction of four decentralised biomethanation plants. Two plants in wards Koramangala and Banasawadi have been completed and are ready for operation, while two others in wards Anjanapura and A. Narayanapura are under construction, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who inaugurated the 5TPD bio-methanisation plant in Koramangala on Saturday, said.  

Mr. Reddy said that a major project is being planned in collaboration with GAIL (India) to establish a biogas plant with a capacity of around 300 TPD. At Kannahalli, approval has been granted for a 1,000 TPD plant in partnership with a private firm, Satarem. Meanwhile, a privately operated 50 TPD facility at Herohalli, empanelled as a bulk waste vendor, is producing around 1,500 kg of gas, which is being converted into compressed biogas (CBG) for sale, with plans to extend supply to households via pipelines, he added.  

Pointing at the official data, the Minister said that 12 biogas plants were previously constructed across the city, of which six are currently operational. Each plant has a capacity to process five tonnes of wet waste per day, collectively handling around 30 tonnes daily. The remaining six plants are slated for renovation, he said. 

“On average, one tonne of wet waste yields 30–50 kg of biogas, with each operational plant producing roughly 200 kg of gas per day. The biogas is primarily used for captive consumption, while surplus gas is utilised for electricity generation, including powering nearby street lights,” Mr. Reddy said, adding that in Koramangala Ward, an upgraded 8.5-tonne plant supplies about 120 kg of gas daily to nearby hotels after internal usage, generating an estimated ₹8,400 per day at a rate of ₹70 per kg.