Safe and Sound Co-Processing Practices to use Hazardous Wastes

The country has potential to utilize entire hazardous waste generated through co-processing in the Cement and other industries. Guidelines on co-processing in the Cement industry have been published by the Central Pollution Control Board in February 2010. The data is being generated for preparing the guidelines for thermal power and also for other furnaces as coke oven and steel etc. Prof S. P. Gautam, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, expressed this hope in his welcome address to the one day workshop on “Co-processing of Wastes in Cement Kiln” here today. He said the purpose of the Conference is to develop a safe and sound co-processing practise.

The induction of co-processing started in 2005 in India; however it was restricted in cement industries with trials included various sludge, Tar, Tyre chips solid waste mix, liquid waste mix of various range and others including select municipal solid waste.

Prof. Gautam explained that the cement industry has been successful in utilizing industrial inorganic waste materials but have not much experience of using alternate fuels derived from waste or hazardous waste materials. With 164 kilns scattered around the country, this industry consumes more than 300 million tonnes of virgin raw materials approx. 28 million tons of coal, 18 billions of kWh electricity which require a huge amount of alternative fuels as well. Hence, the use of co-processing needs expansion in the type of waste, mode of disposal besides cement such as thermal power plants and coke oven and steel furnaces.

Giving details of the cost of processing incinerator, Prof. Gautam pointed out that it would depend on its capacity ranging from Rs. 10 Crore to Rs.30 Crore. Assuming disposal cost of hazardous waste is about Rs. 16,000/- per MT, it may roughly be estimated that additionally about Rs. 640 Crore per annum would be incurred in incinerating hazardous waste in our country. Besides, incinerator if not operated optimally may contribute to emission including toxic Dioxins and Furans. This coupled with resource conservation and reduced carbon emissions make a strong case for considering co-processing as a sound and better alternative for hazardous waste disposal in general and incinerable waste in particular.

India also has ten steel plants and more than hundred power plants in operation and the potential for safe and sound co-processing practices. Resource and Energy Intensive Industry (REII) can be made more sustainable and efficient by substitution of renewable fossil fuels and virgin raw material with waste and secondary raw material. Process for destruction of toxicity immobilization of toxic and heavy material, absorption of acidic gases, also helps for conservation of natural/ fossil fuel resources.The big amount of pollution of distillery spent washes and land disposal of spent wash by bio-composting to harness fertilizer and select municipal solid waste which cause damage to environment will also be co-processed.

CPCB is also providing assistance to South East Asian countries like Bhutan and Nepal in improving their environmental management system, including Hazardous Waste Management System.

An institutional co-operation with SINTEF will strengthen this activity as well as the compliance with the Stockholm and the Basel Convention, the Montreal Protocol, the UN framework Convention on Climate Change and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).

Addressing the workshop, Ms Ann Ollestad, Ambassador of Norway to India said by integrating co-processing and treatment of wastes in cement and steel production and coal based power plants, India can reduce the need for building new and costly waste incinerators and save non-renewable fossil fuels and raw materials. Such practice will reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions, increase waste treatment capacity and reduce releases of hazardous chemicals.

Ms Ollestad informed that Norway has treated its organic hazardous waste in the cement industry for the last twenty five years. Dedicated incinerators were never built in Norway. India, with its numerous steel plants and more than hundred Power plants, offers great potential for co-processing.

“The purpose of the four year project is to build capacity and assist Central Pollution Contorl Board , State Pollution Control Boards and industry in implementing a safe and sound co-processing and treatment practise in resource and energy intensive industry in India,” she added.

KP