The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD to use plasma technology for disposing of garbage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 10, 2007
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New Delhi

MCD to use plasma technology for disposing of garbage

Staff Reporter

‘7,000 metric tonnes of waste matter is being generated daily’

‘The landfills at Balswa, Ghazipur and Okhla are already filled to capacity’
‘Plasma is simply gas or air that is ionised by the torch’

NEW DELHI: If you thought “plasma” was just another gimmicky component of futuristic weapons in Western sci-fi movies and video games, think again. Now, closer home, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has decided to employ this technology for the mundane but crucial purpose of disposing garbage.

In view of the increasing amount of waste being generated in the Capital, the civic body this past weekend mulled over plans to implement a new method-- “Plasma Converter Technology”-- to dispose of waste in an efficient manner.

In a statement, Deputy Mayor Divy Jaiswal said about 6,000-7,000 metric-tonnes of waste matter was being generated daily in Delhi and there were only three landfill sites where this waste could be dumped. “The landfills at Balswa, Ghazipur and Okhla are already filled to capacity and there is no other place to dump garbage. Thus, a new method of disposing of waste is required.”

The PCT uses high temperature “plasma” generated by a “torch” to convert waste into non-toxic solids and plasma converter gas (PCG). The solid product that is similar to ebonite can be disposed of without any hazard and the PCG can be utilised for producing electrical energy. Explaining the functioning of the PCT, Mr. Jaiswal said that plasma was simply gas or air that was ionised by the torch. The ionised gas acted like a good conductor and produced a lightning-like arc of electricity that converted the garbage into its atomic components causing elemental dissociation. The device is computer controlled, easy to use and operates at atmospheric pressure. “The PC system can be constructed in a modular fashion and additional units can be added as the volume of waste increases. This is an advantage over incinerators whose capacity cannot be supplemented. All waste disposal systems produce by-products. In case of PCG, the two primary products formed are ebonite—an inert solid—and the plasma converter gas which is used for power generation,” said Mr. Jaiswal.

Other by-products include a sodium chloride solution and some filters which can be readily disposed-off in landfills. The PC system also bypasses the issue of dust production by incinerators and is two-times more efficient. “The PC system is in accordance with not just Indian environmental laws but also with the stringent US norms . ,” he concluded.

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