CBG plant at Brahmapuram to be inaugurated by July-end

The Kochi Corporation’s compressed biogas (CBG) plant at Brahmapuram will be inaugurated by the end of July.

The progress of the project came up for discussion at the regional review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kottayam on Thursday (July 3, 2025). The trial run at the plant is currently under way. A tripartite agreement between the Kochi Corporation, the State government, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Kochi Refinery, has already been signed to operate the CBG plant, according to an official communication.

The meeting observed that the commissioning of the 150-tonne plant, with a capacity to produce 15 tonnes of biogas would resolve the waste management crisis faced by Kochi to a great extent. The gas would be supplied to BPCL through a pipeline.

Bio-bins have been deployed in all local bodies in Ernakulam district. Bio-mining at various centres is under way and will be completed in a time-bound manner.

“The CBG plant is intended to serve as a model, similar to the one in Indore. Initially, it will have the capacity to treat 75 tonnes of biodegradable waste per day, which will later be increased to 150 tonnes. While the proposed plant is expected to cater to the waste management needs of neighbouring local bodies in the future, in its initial phase, it will treat waste generated within the Kochi Corporation limits. At present, the Corporation generates over 150 tonnes of waste per day,” the communication said.

Besides, a black soldier fly-based waste treatment unit with the capacity to process 100 tonnes of waste per day is also operational at Brahmapuram. Fabbco Biocycle Private Limited, a company that produces bio-manure by treating biodegradable waste using black soldier flies (BSF), exported 80 tonnes earlier this month to a Dubai-based company engaged in sustainable vertical farming, and another 75 tonnes to the local Kerala market.

Exports have slowed with the onset of the monsoon due to increased moisture content. The company has since modified its machinery to reduce moisture in the biomanure and to ensure it remains in compliance with international standards in order to further boost its export potential, according to the authorities.