Citys 1st corporate biogas llant opened

CHENNAI: The city’s first corporate biogas power plant, which will produce about 250 units of power per day, was inaugurated at the Express Estates here on Wednesday.Express Estates owner Saroj Goenka inaugurated the plant that will produce about 25 units of green energy per hour.  Dr P Radhakrishna, the Director of Department of New and Renewable Energy, told Express that the plant will produce 200 cubic metres of biogas from more than three tonnes of dung collected per day from 225 cows in the Express Estates.  “The biogas plant can generate 25 units of power per hour and can last up till 10 hours generating a total of 250 units of power,” he said.The engine works entirely on gas mode and the power produced is recommended only for lighting purposes in the building, he said.Radhakrishna said that the Union Ministry was providing 50 per cent subsidy to set up such plants in a bid to encourage renewable energy.“We have provided `9 lakh as subsidy, while Express Estates provided `10 lakh  for setting up the plant,” Radhakrishna said.Interestingly, the slurry from the plant can be used as manure for plants.  “It won’t attract mosquitos, neither would it smell,” he said.Radhakrishna said that the owner was planning to source one tonne of manure from outside to boost the capacity of the plant.“Initially, there was a plan to use food wastes, but the owner objected to non-vegetarian food wastes being used in the plant. As such there is a plan to source the manure from outside,” he added.