Swachh city begins conversion of green waste into fuel pellets

Indore: In a unique initiative towards environmental protection, Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) started processing the city's green waste into powder form to manufacture green fuel pellets (wooden pellets) by setting up a plant costing around Rs 7 crore.
IMC commissioner Shivam Verma and additional commissioner Abhilash Mishra were among the senior officials, who visited the plant as the first lot of production was successfully completed, on Wednesday.
"These pellets will serve as an alternative fuel to coal, ensuring environmental sustainability and improving waste management practices. IMC will receive a royalty of Rs 3 per kilogram from this project, marking a commendable step towards revenue generation. It's the first public private partnership-mode green waste plant established by any civic body in India," Verma said.
During the inspection, he discussed the plant's potential, structure, resource availability, and the project's impact with concerned officials.
Built on a 55,000 square feet land in Bicholi Hapsi, the plant will recycle wood and branches to produce wooden pellets, serving as an alternative to coal and promoting energy conservation. The plant has a capacity of 100 tonnes per day (tpd). The green waste generated from the premises of major institutions is being directly collected and sent to the facility, with a fixed fee structure in place. Indore generates approximately 30 tonne of green waste — wood, branches, leaves, and flowers — daily. As the seasons change, especially during autumn, this volume can soar to 60 to 70 tonne.
Mishra said these wooden pellets produced from green waste will prove to be a better alternative to coal and can be used as fuel in industrial units. This will lead to a reduction in air pollution and decrease dependence on coal.
How Green Waste Is Converted Into Fuel Pellets?
At the plant, the city's green waste is being transformed into a fine sawdust that could be used across a wide array of industries. With a detailed plan in place, the idea is to dry the green waste over a span of three to four months. During this time, the moisture content would decrease by 90%, preparing the material for the next stage. As the months pass by, the green waste, once damp and cumbersome, would become light and brittle, almost ready for transformation. Cutting-edge machines will then help to break it down into fine dust particles — sawdust. Once an unremarkable byproduct of timber mills, it now has a second life, contributing to a sustainable, circular economy.
Wooden pellets, produced from green waste, are utilised across various industries, including the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), where they serve as an eco-friendly alternative for energy production and other applications. Besides, the sawdust can be used to craft durable packing material that reduce the need for plastic. Furniture manufacturers find it useful as a composite material, lending strength to products like chairs and tables. Fertilisers made from the sawdust enrich the soil, helping farmers grow healthier crops. In the food industry, the sawdust can be moulded into disposable plates, offering a biodegradable alternative to plastic and styrofoam.