New Delhi: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday inaugurated the city’s first large-scale biogas plant at Nangli Dairy, capable of processing 200 metric tonnes of cow dung and other waste daily. The plant will produce 5,600 kg of CNG, which will be supplied to Indraprastha Gas Limited through a dedicated pipeline, and generate 30 tonnes of compost daily for distribution to farmers, reports The Times of India.
The Rs 16-crore plant, developed on 2.7 acres, is partially funded by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. Two similar projects are under construction at Gogha and Goyla dairies, each with a daily capacity of 200 metric tonnes, expected to be completed by December 2025 and March 2026, respectively.
The initiative aims to prevent cow dung from being dumped into drains and polluting the Yamuna. “Until now, MCD did not have a proper plan for dung disposal. Dairy owners either flushed dung into drains or sent it to landfills along with other waste,” an official said. The concessionaire will collect raw material from dairy owners at Rs 656 per metric tonne.
The Nangli plant has three digesters and is currently processing 25 tonnes of dung daily during its trial run, with full capacity expected next month. CM Gupta noted that construction of the plant began in 2018 but was delayed under the previous government.
Highlighting the environmental benefits, she said, “The plant will generate green energy and revenue. Nangli Dairy has around 13,000 cattle and Kakrola Dairy 7,000, each producing about 10 kg of dung daily. Together, both dairies produce roughly 200 metric tonnes of dung every day. Many more such units will be needed across the city.”
MCD is also setting up three decentralized biomethanation plants to process 750 metric tonnes of daily wet waste and produce compressed methane gas similar to conventional CNG. A 100MT plant in northwest Delhi’s Ghogha will begin full operations from September 26, set up by IGL. Another 300MT plant at Okhla is expected to be completed by December, while a 350MT facility in Ghazipur is scheduled for commissioning by December 2026.
