India’s premier nuclear research organisation Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has partnered with Kerala-based waste management company Samudra Planet to launch customised bio-gas plants which will scientifically and sustainably dispose of bio-degradable waste, converting it into methane-rich biogas and nutrient-rich bio-manure using cutting-edge microbial technology.
Under a Technology Transfer (TOT) agreement with BARC, Samudra Planet will manufacture customised bio-gas plants for households, hotels, and big residential projects. “It’s a first-of-its-kind microbial technology for converting bio-degradable waste into bio-gas and manure. For households and small hotels, we will be launching plants that can handle 10 kg to 100 kg of waste per day. We will also be launching plants for big residential projects and catering units with a capacity to handle 1000 kg to 5000 kg of waste per day,” said Samudra Planet Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Jeevan Sudhakaran.
Compared to existing waste management systems available in the market, the microbial technology plant is more user-friendly with zero maintenance cost and no odour. “It can handle all bio-degradable waste generated from kitchens, food processing industries, poultry farms, and abattoirs. The biogas can be used for cooking or electricity generation, while the organic manure can be used for agriculture,” Dr Jeevan said, adding that the plants will be the best choice for convention centres, temples, and marriage halls where they don’t have a state-of-the-art waste management system to dispose of huge quantities of food waste generated after each event.
“Another major advantage of the plant is that it doesn’t require huge space for installation. A sedan car parking space is all that’s required to set up the system,” he said.
As per the specific details, a 10 kg plant generates methane gas required for around two hours of cooking. “The plant works similarly to a human body’s digestive system. Anaerobic bacteria are fed into the system containing the bio-degradable waste for processing it into bio-gas and bio-manure. It generates zero smell while processing. The efficiency is 100 percent as the technology is developed by BARC,” Dr Jeevan added.
