ARTI Compact Biogas: Solution to Urban Organic Waste Management Priyadarshini Karve pkarve@samuchit.com

Reality of Waste to Energy Projects So far biogas generation from organic waste has been considered only for large scale systems at the level of municipal corporations. Villages in the vicinity of a municipal garbage processing facility have to suffer from the pollution, foul smell, etc. Traditional waste pickers are being exploited by waste management companies to maximise their profits. ARTI’s 2006 Ashden award winning technology allows conversion of kitchen waste into biogas, even at single household level. biogas can be used for cooking, electricity generation, or running any IC engine for applications like water pumping.

ARTI Compact Biogas Plants ASHDEN AWARD FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY, 2006

ARTI Compact Biogas Plants ARTI Compact Biogas – Terrace Model: Size: 1 m3 digester Capacity: upto 2 kg kitchen waste Quantity of gas produced: upto 1 kg biogas, capable of replacing 250 gm of LPG. Depending on type of cooking done, one meal can be cooked entirely on biogas. Requires space on open terrace with good load bearing capacity or open to sunlight area of land – about 2-3 m2. ARTI Compact Biogas – Balcony Model: Size: 0.5 m3 digester Capacity: upto 1 kg kitchen waste Quantity of gas produced: upto 0.5 kg biogas, capable of replacing about 100 gm of LPG. Depending on type of cooking done, tea, snacks, etc. can be cooked. Can fit into a balcony.

Large ARTI Biogas System Capacity: 7000 ltrs. Digester (plastic tank or masonry work) 5000 ltrs. gas holder (plastic tank) Unit Cost: Approx INR 2,00,000 Pay back period: 3-4 years Operating cost: Electricity for Food Pulper, 1 hp Labour 2 hr/day (at actual) Gas production: 2.5 kg LPG eq/day or 75 kg/month Additional benefit: Spent slurry in watery form can be used directly as liquid fertilizer (100-125 lit/day). Requirements: Area open to sunlight throughout the day 10sq.m. Water ~ 100-125 lit/day Feedstock: Food waste, pulped, 40-50 kg (cooked food, overripe fruit, peels of banana, papaya, mango, etc.)

Biogas – a versatile energy source Cooking fuel - for household or commercial establishments Fuel for a generator for producing electricity – for household or community Fuel for running any IC engine – for household/community applications like water pumping Source of methane (natural gas), an already well established fuel

Numbers… 1 kg of green biomass = approx 0.5 kg of biodegradable waste on dry weight basis 0.5 kg dry weight of biodegradable waste approx 400 g biogas =100 g methane + 300 g carbon dioxide 1 kg of green biomass = 100 g methane = 100 g LPG or 0.5 kwh energy

Potential for ARTI Biogas in India Rural and Urban Organic waste available in India ~ 1000 million tn ~ 100 million tn methane 500 million kwh of potential energy Source! 100 million tn of fossil fuel import potentially avoided! Biogas Effluent to be used as organic fertilizer

Priyadarshini Karve pkarve@samuchit.com For more information: Priyadarshini Karve pkarve@samuchit.com