BENGALURU: Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is set to transform sewage sludge into a revenue source for the board. By upgrading raw biogas generated across five of its major sewage treatment plants (STPs) into high-value Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG), the board will unlock an estimated additional revenue of Rs 120 crore over the next two decades, the water board said a press release on Sunday, adding that it will be the first and biggest project of its kind in the country.
While similar initiatives in India, such as a plant in Surat utilizes merely 120 MLD of water, BWSSB’s project will utilize 550MLD of sewerage water. To maximize this potential, the BWSSB chairman has issued instructions to expand and install this cutting-edge project wherever bio-digesters are currently present at STPs across the city, BWSSB said.
Currently, most biogas at these STPs is used for in-situ power generation, while one facility simply flares the gas. The project proposes to upgrade this raw biogas into CBG, meeting national standards for injection into the city’s gas distribution network or use as a clean transport fuel. By shifting from electricity offsetting to revenue-generating biogas conversion, about Rs 120 crore is the estimated additional revenue potential for BWSSB.
Executed under a robust Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, the private concessionaire will bear the entire Rs 85-crore capital expenditure along with all operational and maintenance costs, ensuring zero financial risk for BWSSB. The board will provide approximately 13,000 sqm of land within STP premises for project operations, without the creation or transfer of any land ownership.
BWSSB Chairman Dr Ram Prasath Manohar stated, “Processing 550 MLD of sewerage water makes this the biggest and most ambitious project of its kind in India. This brilliantly structured PPP model allows us to generate over Rs 120 crore in fresh revenue without investing a single rupee in capital or operations. It is a monumental win that boosts our financial health, enhances our city’s energy security, and sets a powerful national model for India’s journey toward energy independence.”
The State cabinet recently granted formal approval for the Rs 85-crore biogas purification and compression project, officially authorizing BWSSB to proceed with the 20-year concession agreement.