Team Goemkarponn
Margao: After a delay of over two months, the trial operations of a 10-tonne gasification plant commenced at the Sonsodo Waste Management Complex on Wednesday.
The trial run began after the Goa State Pollution Control Board granted Consent to Establish the facility earlier this week.
The plant, being operated by Pune-based GD Environmental Pvt Ltd, is designed to process plastic and other waste materials and convert them into oil and gas through a gasification process.
Company Director Ajit Gadgil, speaking to the media at the site, said the generation of oil and gas from waste is key to ensuring the commercial sustainability of the project. He noted that the plant is capable of handling different forms of waste, including sanitary waste and coconut husk.
Explaining the process, Gadgil said the incoming dry and mixed waste is first routed to a pyrolysis chamber where it is heated to nearly 300 degrees Celsius. The heating process converts the waste into a coal-like material, which is then used in the gasifier to generate the heat required to process additional waste.
He added that the system is designed to operate flexibly and can also treat sanitary waste such as used sanitary pads, provided the waste is properly segregated before being transported to the facility.
Gadgil further stated that the quantity and type of by-products generated would largely depend on the composition of waste supplied by the municipal authorities. He emphasised that a steady supply of appropriate plastic waste would be crucial for producing oil and ensuring the plant’s long-term viability.
Digambar Kamat, along with Damodar Shirodkar, Chairperson of the Margao Municipal Council, Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar and municipal engineers, visited the facility and witnessed the trial run on Wednesday morning.
Speaking to reporters later, Kamat said the plant would undergo a series of trial operations before it is formally commissioned. He noted that some odour was noticed on the first day as thermocol waste had entered the system, and the municipal council has been directed to ensure that thermocol-free waste is supplied to the plant in future.
