Indian Railways commissions first waste to energy plant in Bhubaneswar

Indian Railways has commissioned the country’s first governmental waste to energy plant, having a capacity of 500 Kg waste per day, in Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop at Bhubaneswar in East Coast Railway. Member Rolling Stock, Rajesh Agarwal inaugurated this plant on January 22, 2020, along with GM, East Coast Railway. 

This waste to energy plant, constructed in three months, is a patented technology called POLYCRACK, is first-of-its-kind in Indian Railways and fourth in India. It is the world’s first patented heterogeneous catalytic process which converts multiple feedstocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water.

Polycrack Plant can be fed with all types of plastic, petroleum sludge, un-segregated MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) with moisture up to 50%, E-Waste, automobile fluff, organic waste including bamboo, garden waste etc., and jatropha fruit and palm bunch. Waste generated from Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop, Coaching Depot and Bhubaneswar Railway Station will be feeder material for this plant.

The process is a closed-loop system and does not emit any hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere. The combustible, non-condensed gases are re-used for providing energy to the entire system and thus, the only emission comes from the combustion of gaseous fuels. The emissions from the combustion are found to be much less than prescribed environmental norms. This process will produce energy in the form of light diesel oil which is used to light furnaces.