Going Green! Mumbai Now Home To India's First EV Charging Station Powered By Food Waste

Aaditya Thackeray, Maharashtra's Environment Minister, inaugurated India's first waste-powered EV charging station in the existing waste-to-energy plant at Keshavrao Khadye Road near Haji Ali, Mumbai, on Monday, May 9.

The minister, addressing the media, said that this would be the country's first centre to charge EVs using food waste generated power. He added that efforts are being taken to establish such stations in other parts of the state, with highways as a priority, explaining that this would encourage the use of EVs while simultaneously tackling the waste management issue in the state.

Inaugurated India's first EV charging station powered by bio-gas at Keshavrao Khadye Marg today, which generates 220 units of energy from household waste. Along with powering street lights, this energy plant will now charge electric vehicles too. pic.twitter.com/S3YuXE2K9G

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) May 9, 2022

First Of Its Kind

This venture, a collaboration between AeroCare Clean Energy and the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), is the first centre in India that would charge Electric Vehicles (EVs) using food waste-generated power. The waste-to-energy plant was inaugurated in the BMC's D Ward at the Keshavrao Khadye Road near the Haji Ali circle in September 2021. It was started as a novel local venture to manage and utilize the increasing wet waste in the city, and it processes nearly 2,000 kgs, or two metric tonnes, of garbage daily.

The plant can generate approximately 100 cubic metres of gas daily, and every metric tonne of waste generates around 220 units of electricity, as reported by The Indian Express. So far, all the energy generated has been used to power the streetlights, but with the increasing number of EVs in the city, BMC decided to use the energy for charging stations. Ankit Zaveri, the CEO of AeroCare, said that they are looking at more awareness campaigns and opening similar waste-powered EV charging stations across the city.

Prashant Gaikwad, the assistant commissioner of the D ward, said that 250 units would now be used for the EV charging station, which would be around 6 to 7 EVs in a day, with each EV getting charged in approximately 45 minutes.

Mumbai's Garbage Problem

The plant utilizes food waste from neighbouring areas, bulk generators like hotels, eateries, offices, etc., and converts that to energy. Since its inception in 2021, the venture has consumed over 1.5 lakh kgs of food and generated electricity.

According to officials, as reported in The Free Press Journal, the city produces around 6,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, 70 per cent of which is wet waste. The authorities have instructed the bulk generators to process the wet waste on their respective premises but in vain. Out of 3,600 bulk generators, more than 50 per cent continue to disregard the constant notices from BMC. To deal with the waste management issue, the D ward of BMC decided to launch this venture. Food waste would be collected from bulk generators in the areas of Haji Ali, Grant Road, Malabar Hill, and Napeansea Road and sent to the plant to generate power.

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