India’s industrial sector is converting waste to opportunity as waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies become increasingly popular, providing new solutions for India to dispose of growing industrial waste while generating clean energy.
With rapid industrialization and urbanization, India produces millions of tons of waste each year, ranging from municipal solid waste, farm residue, to industrial byproducts.
WTE projects are cropping up as a two-pronged strategy to resolve waste management issues and address India’s renewable energy ambitions.
India has an escalating waste problem, generating huge amounts of municipal and industrial waste. Major cities are estimated to generate 0.39 to 0.99 kg of solid waste per capita per day, according to a 2021 report by NITI Aayog.
Industrial waste, like toxic byproducts from factories like the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, poses major ecological and health threats if not properly managed. Conventionally, waste disposal practices such as landfilling and uncontrolled incineration have promoted pollution and the need for more sustainable alternatives.
WTE technologies process waste streams—biomass, industrial residues, and electronic waste—into electricity, heat, or biofuels, minimizing landfill reliance and fueling India’s circular economy aspirations.
The recent developments indicate the promise of WTE. In Gujarat, Home Minister Amit Shah recently commissioned the state’s biggest WTE plant in Ahmedabad, a joint venture with Jindal Urban Waste Management Company.
The facility processes municipal and industrial waste to generate electricity, showcasing the power of public-private partnerships.
In Maharashtra, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation launched the state’s first integrated city cleaning and WTE project with Sumeet Elko, managing over 600 tons of waste daily.
Chennai’s Perungudi dumpyard is also undergoing transformation through biomining, with plans for a WTE plant on reclaimed land. Approximately 60% of the reclaimed waste is soil, reused in parks, and 20% consists of refuse-derived fuel and recyclables such as plastic and steel.
Technological advancements in industrial waste utilization are also gaining ground. Scientists from Northwestern University have identified a way to convert the industrial waste material triphenylphosphine oxide into a high-performance anolyte for redox flow batteries, as reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
This achievement demonstrates how waste can be transformed back into energy-storing molecules.
In the e-waste field, Envision Energy introduced India’s first race car composed entirely of discarded electronics, in partnership with EarthDay.org, drawing attention to circular design in reducing India’s position as the third-largest global e-waste generator, according to the Global E-waste Monitor 2024.
However, WTE projects have a long way to go. Delhi’s Timarpur-Okhla WTE plant, operational since 2012, has drawn criticism for emitting toxic pollutants like cadmium, lead, and arsenic, exposing over a million residents to health risks, according to a New York Times investigation.
Hazardous ash from the plant is reportedly dumped illegally near residential areas, undermining its eco-friendly claims.
WTE plants also pollute the air of Delhi, with sulphur dioxide emissions 240 times greater than from burning of stubble, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
High costs of operation, inefficiency caused by dual waste streams, and land scarcity—India has limited per capita land of G20 countries—are additional challenges to expansion.
There are only 15 WTE plants operational in the country with a combined capacity of 130 MW, most grappling with unsegregated waste.
For unlocking WTE’s complete potential, India requires strong policies and technologies.
Experts are asking for a complete circular economy policy to enhance the recovery of resources and generate employment opportunities in recycling. Deepali Sinha Khetriwal, who operates a coworking facility for e-waste recyclers outside New Delhi, focuses on recycling’s employment generation capacity.
Enhanced segregation of waste, investments in plasma gasification-type technologies, and stringent emission controls are essential to overcome operational and environmental issues.
India’s drive to convert industrial waste into energy is a hopeful step towards sustainability.
With developments in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Chennai gathering steam, the country can spearhead sustainable waste management—if it can overcome the environmental and operational hurdles ahead.