September 24, 2019
A plant’s economic requirements and the technical volumes of its operators can notify which kind of sludge-to-energy technology and system is selected, and they can be installed in current wastewater treatment plants, lowering the need for new framework. This saves time, space and money.
A Double Advantage for India
Sludge-to-energy systems can also support in another way. India’s urban populations have expanded so powerfully that sewage treatment systems cannot keep up with the quantity of human waste being produced. There are only enough treatment systems in India to treat 37 percent of the country’s sewage—and that’s if they were all operating at maximum capacity. In reality, even less than 37 percent of sewage is potentially treated—the rest is frequently dumped in waterways or on land. Impure sewage contains huge mass of pathogens and other pollutants that can cause diseases.
India's Sewage treatment potential
Despite appearing policies to deal with urban sanitation, there’s been restricted consumption of traditional wastewater treatment facilities due to obstacles such as high installation and maintenance costs, the large amount of energy required to run such units, and the need for trained technical staff. Besides, conventional provisions require large amounts of extra space in India’s already-dense urban areas. Non-conventional, smaller sludge-to-energy systems could clear these obstacles by selling natural gas and digestate for revenue, and by utilizing biogas to meet energy requirements on-site. Sludge-to-energy systems can enable wastewater treatment become economically affordable, offer renewable energy and lower greenhouse gas discharges —all while helping to meet India’s increasing water and sanitation needs.
Applying Sludge-to-Energy Systems in India
WRI India is presently prime research on the potential for implementing sludge-to-energy systems in Indian cities. Past WRI research found that sludge-to-energy systems in Xianyang, China would relents substantial economic, environmental and social benefits— can the same be said for cities in India? Research in India will map the policy and institutional landscapes of the water and wastewater sectors, contemplates designs and approaches that suits India’s requirements, and detects the possiblity for such systems to raise flexibility to water stress. By making use of resources from wastewater, Indian cities may be able to gain a clean source of water at the same time, energy and enhance sanitation.
