Plant processes 600 tonnes daily, aims to handle 500 tonnes of dry waste soon.
BENGALURU
CH News
Around 200 tonnes of sorted dry waste are being sent daily to the Bidadi Waste-to-Energy Plant, said Kari Gowda, Chief Executive Officer of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML). The project, jointly managed by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), seeks to minimize landfill use and promote green power generation.
Constructed on 163 acres near Bidadi under the Design, Finance, Construct, Operate and Transfer (DFCO&T) model, the plant is capable of generating 11.5 megawatts of electricity per day. The ₹314.74-crore project cost is shared equally between GBA and KPCL. Currently, about 600 tonnes of waste, including plastic and refuse-derived fuel (RDF), are processed daily, with a goal of reaching 500 tonnes of dry household waste by the end of November.
Gowda noted that improved waste segregation has reduced landfill-bound compactors from 390 to 340. Bengaluru generates around 6,000 tonnes of waste daily, nearly 35% of which is plastic. While recyclable materials are reused, low-grade plastics are directed to the Bidadi facility for power generation.
Since commencing operations in June 2024, the plant has processed 1.68 lakh tonnes of waste and produced 54.29 million units of electricity—enough to power approximately 25,000 homes daily.
KPCL Executive Engineer Satish Kumar highlighted that this is Karnataka’s first waste-to-energy plant, emphasizing that it operates without causing air pollution and employs odor-control systems.
Energy Minister K.J. George lauded the project as a milestone in the state’s drive toward eco-friendly energy solutions, adding that the ash generated from combustion is reused in road construction, further reinforcing its sustainability goals.