Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to set up 10-acre facility at Sewage Farm; awaits Government nod

Mysuru: Moving towards sustainable urban development, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is set to launch a waste-to-energy project at Vidyaranyapuram Solid Waste Management Plant (Sewage Farm or Excel Plant).

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has proposed a Rs. 66 crore Compressed Biogas Facility (CBG) to convert organic waste into fuel — marking a major milestone in the city’s waste management efforts.

The facility will process around 200 tonnes of organic waste (wet waste) daily, significantly easing the strain on the city’s waste disposal system. MCC Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif told SOM that the Plant’s location has been identified and the proposal is now awaiting Government approval.

The proposed biogas facility will be set up on a 10-acre land inside the Sewage Farm, with the Plant clearing the wet waste dumped at the site. “BPCL has presented the proposal, which has been discussed with Mysuru Division Regional Commissioner D.S. Ramesh, holding concurrent charge as MCC Administrator in the absence of an elected Council,” said the MCC Commissioner.

Awaiting approval

The Plant proposal has been submitted to Dr. R. Selvamani, Karnataka Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), and subsequently forwarded to Finance Department for approval.

BPCL will build and operate the Plant as a non-profit initiative, ensuring efficient conversion of organic waste into biogas fuel. To support smooth operations, MCC has pledged to develop the necessary infrastructure, including access roads and utilities.

The project is envisaged to be commissioned within 24 months from the date of handing over the land for construction activities and after obtaining requisite approvals, he noted. “Once we receive the Finance Department’s clearance, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with BPCL. Once operational, the project will not only reduce landfill waste but also generate clean, renewable energy,” the Commissioner revealed.

A win-win deal

To maximise the project’s benefits, MCC is negotiating a broader deal with BPCL. “We are proposing that BPCL supply Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to all MCC vehicles, as we plan to phase out our fuel-guzzling fleet. Additionally, we are seeking royalty for the 10-acre land that BPCL will use for the Biogas Plant. Meanwhile, BPCL can generate revenue by selling biogas. This makes it a win-win arrangement for both MCC and BPCL,” Shaikh Tanveer Asif added.

Mysuru has been making steady progress in addressing its mounting waste crisis. The city has already cleared 40 percent of its 7 lakh tonnes of accumulated waste at Sewage Farm.

The new Biogas Plant will give this effort a further boost by providing an eco-friendly solution for daily waste management, reducing methane emissions from decomposing garbage and producing sustainable energy.

Turning waste into renewable energy

BPCL’s Compressed Biogas (CBG) facility is a cutting-edge unit that converts organic waste into compressed biogas through the following steps:

• Pre-processing: Organic waste like agricultural residue and food waste is sorted and cleaned of non-organic contaminants.

• Anaerobic digestion: The waste is fed into oxygen-free digesters, where microorganisms break it down over weeks, producing biogas and digestate.

• Biogas purification: The raw biogas undergoes scrubbing and filtration to remove impurities like carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and moisture, yielding high-purity methane.

• Compression and storage: The purified biogas is compressed into CBG and stored in high-pressure cylinders or tanks for distribution.

• Distribution and use: The CBG will be used as a renewable fuel for vehicles, industrial processes and power generation.