Haryana to set up poultry litter-based power project

The state of Haryana in India has taken the lead in setting up what they claim is India’s largest 5.6 megawatt poultry litter-based power project, using the latest thermophilic anaerobic digestor technology.

The Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Green Indus Bio-Energy Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon, for setting up the project at Barwala.

The proposal to generate power from litter had been designed after persuading poultry farm owners through the Haryana Poultry Farmers Association. The project will be implemented by Green Indus Bio-Energy Pvt. Ltd, which is a joint venture of M/s Emergent Ventures India Pvt Ltd, M/s Indus Terra Energy Inc, and the Haryana Poultry Farmers Association, at a cost of Rs 67.2 crore (>>>) .

Spread over two phases, the project will be set up on the latest thermophilic anaerobic digestors technology, which treats the waste at 55 degrees Celsius. The liquid effluent is recycled after being treated through ultra-filtration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO). In the first phase, 1.4 MW power generation unit shall be commissioned by November, 2011. The second-phase 4.2-MW unit shall be commissioned by January, 2012. It will require about 500 metric tonne of poultry litter daily to generate power.

A dark spot in the growth of poultry farming in the area has been the problems surrounding the disposal of poultry litter, as large waste becomes the breeding ground for flies, vermin and other parasites, spreading unpleasant odour in the township of Barwala and the surrounding areas.

The project would use the litter and solve the problem. Power from the project will be purchased by the state utilities for which the Haryana State Electricity Regulatory Commission. The poultry industry in Barwala had been instrumental in the agro- industrial growth of Haryana. Barwala has 133 farms with a total capacity of about 8,1 million birds which generate about 650 metric tonne litter every day.