Delhi Jal Board seeks buyers for biogas from two sewage plants

Biogas now flared at the Keshopur Phase-I and Yamuna Vihar Phase-II sewage treatment plants could be sold to private firms for conversion into power or vehicle fuel.

The Delhi Jal Board has invited expressions of interest for the two plants, the first step in a plan to commercially use gas produced during sludge digestion. Buyers would take untreated biogas at designated delivery points and build, operate and maintain facilities to purify, compress or bottle it, convert it into bio-CNG, or generate electricity.

Keshopur Phase-I is being upgraded from 12 million gallons a day (MGD) to 18 MGD. Its design permits biogas generation of 257.26 cubic metres an hour. Yamuna Vihar Phase-II has a 15-MGD capacity and produces 18,173 cubic metres of biogas a month; its gas is also currently flared.

The firms would bear installation costs and secure statutory clearances. Delhi Jal Board operates 37 sewage treatment plants, while Delhi generates nearly 1,000 MGD of sewage daily against treatment capacity of 814 MGD.

Officials expect to hire agencies by November, then issue a detailed request for proposals after shortlisting eligible companies. The model could later be extended to other plants.