Sep 29, 2009

As we are all aware garbage is the new Frankenstein’s Monster facing mankind threatening its very existence.  With countries all over the world finding it difficult to effectively dispose gallons of waste generated every day, using it as raw material for generating power would be doubly beneficial as we can get rid of the hazardous waste by recycling it and also meet the energy requirements of the country.  A ray of hope of garnering power from garbage seems to be not a distant possibility in Karnataka thanks to the Herculean efforts of K S Siva Prasad. Dy Chairman of State Planning Board D H Shankaramurthy after listening to the presentation made by K S Shiva Prasad recently, has been able to realize the potential and the need of going for green power. He has also promised to give the due attention the project demands. 

It is an altogether another story that Siva Prasad was forced to put his technology into practice in Malaysia after a lackadaisical response from Karnataka government two decades ago.  Just a few months back daijiworld had highlighted this story on how the indigenous technology developed by him was lapped up by Malaysia when he entered into a joint venture with a private party in Malaysia in 2000.  The project was commissioned in June this year, and Siva Prasad has the satisfaction of seeing his innovation becoming a reality. 

Green Power, the concept no doubt is gaining ground everywhere including the East Asian countries which are receptive to new technology of generating green power, that too power from garbage.  As the popular saying it is better late than never, finally after letting the golden opportunity slip away from its hands a few decades back the present Government of Karnataka is showing keen interest to the idea of generating power from garbage. 

Karnataka Government has woken up tardily to the idea of generating green power, i.e. power from garbage.  Impressed by the environment-friendly and environment benign technology Shankaramurthy has now called a meeting of all the stakeholders such as the City Corporation, the Electricity Board, the Pollution Control Board etc., to discuss the feasibility of a project of generating power from garbage. 

For Siva Prasad it is consolation that despite the then Bangarappa government cold-shouldering him when he was ready  with a pilot project of converting waste into green power almost two decades ago,  resulting in the project being lapped up by Malaysia, the present state government is at least  warming up to the idea of green power.  “Shankaramurthy has been able to grasp the crux of the project and has promised to bring the matter to the attention of the Chief Minister and apprise him about the need of the project” says Shiva Prasad who is in Mangalore for a short period to be with his family.  He is confident that the present government would respond positively to his technology.  

He has however, made it clear to Shankarmurthy that the government should zero in on a promoter who is ready to invest in the project. If everything goes right the green power projects might come up in Bangalore, Mysore-Mandya, Shimoga, Bhadravathi and other parts of the state where up to 1000 tons of garbage on a daily basis can get accumulated.     

At 79 Siva Prasad is bubbling with new energy and enthusiasm of a youngster.  It of course stems from the fact that his Kajang Project in Malaysia which had begun in 2004 has been commissioned and the plant has started supplying power to the country’s national grid from June 2009.  His company is now busy commissioning pollution control equipments which will be done in the next one month, to ensure that only clean air goes out.  While implementing the project his company has followed the German standard of emission which is considered to be the toughest in the world.  

Siva Prasad with his daughter Chellam and wife Sharadha

There is no doubt that it is the satisfaction of the project being a success that keeps his enthusiasm levels soaring despite his advancing age.  His wife Sharada feels her husband is racing against time and want his innovation to be put for good use, especially in his own motherland.  Making his dream a reality has not come easily for the family.  The couple had to make lot of compromises and living apart (Sharada stays with daughter Chellum in Mangalore) at this ripe age after years of togetherness has not been easy for them.  Siva Prasad with his son has to stay back in Malaysia to oversea the project.  “Imagine going home after a hard days work with no one to even open the doors.   But success does not come without sacrifices”, says Sharada with wifely concern.  

The Kajang plant with a 9 MW capacity is the first operating plant in Eastern Asian region is collaboration between a private Malaysian firm and Siva Prasad which he terms “as a milestone”.  Needless to say he is a happy and contented man having been able to see his dream becoming a reality, though in an alien land.  To add to his cup of joy is the fact that now the Malaysian government has allotted another similar project to Siva Prasad in Johor, a designated garbage site very close to Singapore.  

The new project is agreed upon on the BOT policy (build, operate and transfer) which means the project will be bought on completion by paying the entire cost. The work has already begun and an agreement to this effect will soon be finalized.   Impressed by this eco-friendly technology the Malaysian government, he says, is mulling over adopting this technology in the entire country in a phased manner, which shows the Malaysian government is fully confident of the feasibility of the project.    “It is easy making a project abroad than in India.  But now I see the beginning of a change, a change for the better.  Once the change is effected it will start working faster. Countries like Indonesia and Thailand are also bit by the bug of power from waste as they are also showing interest in this project”, opines Siva Prasad.    

The plant in Malaysia processes 1000 tons per day of waste in a 28 acre facility. The capacity of the power plant is 9 MW and the project cost was 50 million US $, a one time investment.  Siva Prasad has also been concentrating on upgrading the technology for the new project on the basis of the experience he has garnered in commissioning the first project.  The main problem is in assessing the quality of the garbage.  “The quality of the garbage is uncertain.  One cannot foresee the problem in a non-standard material.  So we were very careful in building redundancy in the first project.   As the plant is working perfectly we are very confident to carry out the next project”, declares Siva Prasad.   

Siva Prasad wants the technology to be adopted in the entire country. But there is a hitch.  Since waste is generally handled by governments he wants the government to supply the garbage to his plant without any tipping fee.  “It is a strange paradox that in a country like Malaysia the government pays us for cleaning the garbage.  I want the central government to pay the tipping fee so that we are not involved in bargaining with the Corporation officials.  With special power subsidy available for renewable source of energy government should compensate directly to the electricity board so that there are no hassles on our way”, says Siva Prasad who has also taken up the matter with the central government.  

Siva Prasad feels that India has the potential to generate about 1000 MW of green power from garbage which will greatly help the country to tide over the energy crisis and at the same time help dispose the waste in an eco-friendly way.  What is needed is a policy initiative from the government keeping in tune with the changing times and requirements.  

First Update on Daijiworld:

• Energy from Garbage - India's Loss Malaysia's Gain...