Kochi Brahmapuram’s biogas plant estimated to generate 6 metric tones of CBG, 128 tonnes of organic manure

The Kochi Corporation’s compressed biogas (CBG) plant at Brahmapuram, set to be inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on February 27, with an optimum capacity to treat 150 tonnes of source-segregated solid waste is estimated to generate nearly 6 metric tonnes of CBG and 128 tonnes of solid and liquid organic manure for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) Kochi Refinery, which has funded the project.

The CBG will be transported to BPCL’s plant at Ambalamedu through a 3.2 km-long pipeline, while 100 tonnes of liquid organic manure and 28 tonnes of solid organic manure will be marketed through Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) Limited.

The plant has been established by BPCL-KR at an investment of nearly ₹90 crore from its corporate social responsibility funds on a 10-acre reclaimed plot handed over by the Corporation. It comprises two biodigesters of 75 tonnes each. While the trial run of one biodigester began last year, the second is currently undergoing trials.

“We started trial run of the first digester on December 4, 2025. Initially, 5 tonnes were used before gradually increasing it to 75 tonnes as per the commissioning procedure. This was preceded by feeding 500 tones of cow dung into both digesters from March 2025. Trail run of second digester has started with recycle slurry from the first digester,” said BPCL-KR sources.

The project was highlighted as a major achievement of the previous Left Democratic Front council of Kochi Corporation, as it was conceived and nearly completed during its tenure. Originally scheduled for inauguration last year, the project was delayed due to logistical reasons. Now, it is being commissioned ahead of the Assembly elections, the notification for which is expected shortly.

Mayor V.K. Minimol remarked that while the plant is ready to be inaugurated, the commissioning should ideally have taken place only after trial runs at optimum tonnage. “Progress has been slow. The trial run is being conducted using food waste collected by the Corporation. There have been issues with the quality of waste, and we have been asked to improve segregation at source by removing non-biodegradable components like plastic. Hopefully, the plant will operate initially at 100 tonnes before reaching full capacity,” she said.

However, BPCL-KR sources said the plant would be able to run at the optimum capacity from the very outset.

The massive fire at the heaps of plastic waste at Brahmapuram in March 2023, which raged for nearly a fortnight and prompted High Court intervention, was what led to the CBG project. The State Cabinet cleared the proposal in July that year. Subsequently, a tripartite agreement was signed between the Kochi Corporation, the State government, and BPCL-KR.

Limited to Corporation limits for now

While the proposed plant is expected to cater to the waste management needs of neighbouring local bodies in the future, in its initial stage, it will be limited to treating waste from within the Kochi Corporation limits.

At present, the Corporation generates over 150 tonnes of waste per day. The CBG plant, along with two black soldier fly-based treatment plants of 50 tonnes each, is expected to meet the Corporation’s waste management requirements.