CBG plant at Brahmapuram to reach full capacity of 150 tonnes by third week of August, says BPCL-KR

The compressed biogas plant at Brahmapuram currently processes about 50 tonnes of biodegradable waste a day. File photo | Photo Credit: H.VIBHU The compressed biogas (CBG) waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram, funded by BPCL-Kochi Refinery (BPCL-KR), will reach its optimum capacity of 150 tonnes by the third week of August, according to company sources.The development comes even as the Kochi Corporation, concerned that the plant — commissioned on February 27, 2026 — is operating at barely one-third of its installed capacity, is preparing to petition the Chief Minister. At present, the facility processes an average of 50 tonnes of biodegradable waste daily. BPCL-KR sources attributed this to the normal stabilisation period required before the plant could be scaled up to full capacity.Health standing committee chairperson Seena Gokulan said the Corporation need not bear the blame for the shortfall in capacity. “The plant has not been treating more than 50 to 60 tonnes a day. The company has cited poor segregation and difficulties in slurry treatment as reasons for failure to handle the promised volume nearly six months after commissioning. A request to treat slurry at the Corporation’s STP was rejected. Moreover, our lorries faced long delays at the plant while waiting to move the refuse,” she alleged.BPCL-KR sources countered that the waste initially supplied by the Corporation exceeded permissible contamination levels of 5–10% and even contained biomedical waste. This clogged the conveyor belt of the plant and required manual removal. However, they noted that the quality of waste had improved following an interim meeting with Corporation officials.“Of the vehicles delivering waste, only one was retained to carry back the refuse, causing delays. We have requested more vehicles. There is also no storage space for the refuse. To improve operations, we plan to introduce two eight-hour shifts shortly,” company sources said.The plant’s solid waste separator had developed a snag in recent days, affecting treatment, but this has now been rectified. The movement of piped gas to Kochi Refinery is expected to begin next week once purification reaches the required level. The gas will be used to fuel boilers and furnaces at the refinery.“We are seeking a partner to market the liquid fermented organic manure generated by the plant. If that fails, we will process it in our in-house effluent treatment plant, which is ready, though that would deprive us of revenue. Anyway, our return on investment is only 3%,” sources added. BPCL-KR has invested ₹90 crore in the project.At full capacity, the plant is expected to generate 5.60 tonnes of biogas daily, 28 tonnes of solid bio-fertilizer, and 100 tonnes of liquid fermented organic manure. Published - July 29, 2026 08:20 pm IST