Kochi's Brahmapuram CBG Plant Faces Delays, Purification Unit Incomplete
The commissioning of the compressed biogas plant at Brahmapuram in Kochi may face further delays. This plant is expected to address the city's garbage treatment challenges. The corporation and state government had announced earlier that the plant would become operational in May 2025. However, construction of the purification unit, a critical component of the CBG plant, remains incomplete.
Mayor Cannot Specify Commissioning Date
Mayor VK Minimol visited the solid waste treatment premises to assess ongoing activities. She said she could not specify the commissioning date for the plant. An official associated with the plant confirmed that the trial run began in April 2025 and is currently ongoing.
In such plants, biodegradable waste converts into biogas through a biological process. Workers feed the waste into large sealed chambers known as digester tanks. Microbes inside these tanks break down the organic material.
Current Treatment Capacity and Future Plans
At Brahmapuram, officials have installed two digester tanks. Each tank can process around 75 tonnes of biodegradable waste per day. This gives the plant a total current treatment capacity of 150 tonnes daily. Officials say they could double this capacity to 300 tonnes in later phases.
The official explained they are currently filling the digester tanks with biodegradable waste. "The microbes need time to grow and stabilise," the official said. "The filling process will take around 45 days." He added that the second hydrolyser tank is yet to be filled completely.
Purification Plant Work Still Underway
Work on the purification plant is still underway. Officials could not specify a completion timeline for this crucial unit. Currently, the gas generated from treated waste contains only 50% methane.
"The remaining gas, including carbon dioxide, must be separated," plant officials explained. "After purification, the methane content is expected to reach 97%."
Commissioning Depends on Purification Unit
TK Asharaf, chairman of the works standing committee of Kochi corporation, made the situation clear. He said the CBG plant will be commissioned once the purification unit is completed. Once fully operational, the plant can process around 150 tonnes of garbage per day. Its capacity could be doubled to 300 tonnes in later phases.
Biomining Progress and Challenges
Meanwhile, Kochi corporation officials stated that biomining of approximately 7.4 lakh tonnes of waste has been completed. However, deputy mayor Deepak Joy noted that around 2.5 lakh tonnes of waste still require bio-mining.
"The master plan for Brahmapuram will be revised to address ongoing issues," Minimol said. "The 104-acre area previously claimed to have been reclaimed through biomining is currently submerged in the river. The site rumored to house a cricket pitch must be reclaimed with proper soil filling."
The delays in the CBG plant commissioning continue to pose challenges for Kochi's waste management efforts. Residents await a clear timeline for when the facility will become fully operational.
