The research projects sponsored by the Min- Jittery of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) have resulted in the development of technologies for processing and treatment of various wastes like municipal solid and liquid waste, vegetable market wastes, wastes from leather industry, distilleries, sugar mills, rice mills, pulp and paper industries, etc., which are readily available for adoption.
The Ministry has launched a National Programme on ‘Energy Recovery from Urban, Municipal and Industrial Wastes’ with objectives of : (i) creation of conducive conditions and environment with fiscal and financial incentives to help, promote, develop, t demonstrate and disseminate the utilisation of wastes for recovery of energy; (ii) improving waste management practices through the adoption of technologies for conversion of wastes into energy, and (iii) promoting the setting-up of projects utilising wastes from urban, municipal and industrial sectors.
A National Programme on biogases-based cogeneration was launched in January 1994 for which a potential of around 3,500 M W has been estimated. A capacity of 186 MW surplus powers has been commissioned and 150 M W aggregate capacity power plants are at an advanced stage of planning by sugar mills.
Power plants of aggregate capacity of 50 MW based on rice husk, prosodies cane trash, and cotton stalks etc. have been mooted. A 2.75 MW power generation plant based on rice husk as feed material at Ml s Gowthami Solvents Oil Limited, Tanuku (A.P.) and a 1 M W power generation plant based on biogas, generated from spent wash at M/s K.M. Sugar Mills Distillery at Faizabad (U.P.) have been commissioned. Biogas generation plants in over 50distilleries of the country utilising distillery spent wash have already been installed. Biogas plants of capacities of 4,000 and 10,000 cubic meter biogas per day based on slaughter-house at M/s A1 Kabeer Exports Limited, Hyderabad and based on black liquor at M/s Satia Paper Mills, Muktsar (Punjab) respectively have also been commissioned.