MCD signs pact to fast-track Narela WTE plant

New Delhi: Accelerating work on the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) fifth waste-to-energy (WTE) plant at Narela, Commissioner Ashwani Kumar on Tuesday signed a tripartite agreement with Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd and Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) to remove high-voltage transmission lines passing through the project site.
The WTE plant will process 3,000 tons per day (TPD) of municipal solid waste, significantly reducing Delhi's waste burden and generating clean energy. The project, estimated at Rs 604 crore, will be operated for 25 years by the agency running the Okhla WTE facility.
"To facilitate the project, it was necessary to clear a portion of the site where three 400 KV transmission lines pass — one owned by DTL and two by Power Grid. DTL and Power Grid have agreed to consolidate one DTL line and one Power Grid line into multi-circuit towers. The work will be executed by Power Grid, with the capital cost borne by MCD," said an MCD official.
This infrastructure adjustment will allow uninterrupted progress of the WTE project while safeguarding Delhi's power transmission system.
Last month, MCD issued the work order for the plant. Officials said this followed the Supreme Court's January 2 ruling upholding MCD's authority to set tariffs for the Narela plant, clearing the way for construction.
"Since the Delhi government delegated standing committee powers to the commissioner for six key waste processing projects, the commissioner approved the work order for this final project once the SC ruling came in our favour," said the official.
The Supreme Court overturned an Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) ruling that rejected the Rs 7.38/kWh tariff approved by Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). However, construction will begin only upon receiving environmental clearance from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change.