Scale-up of deployment of anaerobic digester technology at public and commercial institutions: challenges and opportunities in India
Student name: Ms Nikita Elizabeth Joseph
Guide: Mr Martand Shardul
Year of completion: 2015
Host Organisation: Green Brick Eco Solutions Pvt Ltd
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Sandeep Garg
Abstract: Renewable Energy technologies have been identified as an important means of
meeting energy demands in times of depleting fossil fuel reserves and environmental
problems caused by use of conventional energy sources. Among others, biogas
energy from Anaerobic Digestion or biomethanation of organic waste generated in
urban areas is a promising technology that has great potential of serving as a clean
energy source and as a decentralized waste management solution. Urban entities
that generate significant quantities of organic waste such as large kitchens, housing
societies, public and private office complexes and other institutions, market areas etc
are ideal candidates for AD systems through set up of medium and large scale
anaerobic digesters.
In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyze biogas as a source of energy: its
potential applications, case studies of existing projects, its advantages and
drawbacks. The status of biomethanation technology for organic wastes in India, its
scope and drivers for expansion have been explored. The existing regulatory
framework and policy support and incentives offered by the government have also
been reviewed. There are many bottlenecks in the way of their ample diffusion of new
and emerging technologies such as AD. Besides understanding these barriers, this
study has adopted a framework for analyzing the hindrances to expansion in
deployment of this technology, namely the Technology Innovations Systems (TIS)
framework. This is carried out by conducting interviews with a sample of key
informants who are experts in the field and based on the analysis of its outcomes,
several policy recommendations have been drawn for bettering the prospects of scale
up of this technology.
KEYWORDS: Anaerobic Digestion, Anaerobic Digesters, Biomethanation, MSW,
Organic waste
