NTPC looks to set up waste-to-charcoal plants in Haryana

Haryana government on Sunday said the state will soon set up waste-to-charcoal plants also known as green coal plants in Gurugram-Manesar and Faridabad.

An agreement will be signed between NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL) and the Haryana government.

After setting up the plants in Gurugram-Manesar and Faridabad, this initiative will be expanded to other cities in Haryana and the NVVNL officers will soon visit a few sites for establishing green coal plants, an official spokesperson said.

A meeting in this regard was held on Friday evening at Shram Shakti Bhawan in New Delhi, chaired by Union power minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

During this meeting, detailed discussions were held on NVVNL’s initiative to produce green coal from solid waste.

Green coal, also known as bio-coal, is a sustainable alternative to traditional waste, as it can be blended with regular coal for electricity generation in thermal power plants.

The NVVNL recently established a plant in Varanasi to produce green coal from solid waste. Once fully operational, this plant will consume 600 tonnes of waste and produce 200 tonnes of green coal, leaving very little residue.

“During the meeting Union minister Khattar directed that green coal projects should be established in various districts of Haryana,” an official spokesperson said.

Khattar said that the Gurugram MC, in collaboration with NVVNL, should set up a green coal plant at Bandhwari or alternative sites around Gurugram and Manesar.

He stated that this plant should be capable of consuming around 1,200 tonnes of solid waste daily.

Similarly, Faridabad MC should start the process with NVVNL to set up a plant with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes per day on the available land in Mothuka village.

“Establishing waste-to-green coal plants in Gurugram-Manesar and Faridabad will not only provide a permanent solution to the waste problem but also increase energy production,” the spokesperson said, in a statement.