India’s first plant to produce diesel from plastic waste

Question: In which city, India’s first plastic to diesel conversion plant has been established?
(a) Mathura
(b) Agra
(c) Lucknow
(d) Ahmedabad
Answer: (a)
Related facts:

  • In order to get rid of the growing menace of plastic waste, India’s first plastic to diesel conversion plant was inaugurated in Mathura by MP Hema Malini at the Mathura Municipal Corporation’s (MMC) trenching grounds. It is likely to be operational by 11th October, 2019.
  • The plant will work on a public-private partnership (PPP) model for which the MMC (Mathura Municipal Corporation) has signed a contract with Paterson Energy.
  • The plant will eliminate five metric tonnes of plastic everyday from the city, including non-valuable plastic of less than 50 micron thickness such as carry bags or packing material.
  • The plant has a capacity to convert one tonne of plastic waste into 150-200 liters of diesel, which will sell at a cost of Rs 45-50 per litre.
  • The converted diesel cannot be used in vehicles but can be used as an alternative fuel for diesel generators and factory set up. Instead of using furnace oil, factories can use this oil as it is cheaper.

Methodology:

  • Plastic is derived from crude oil through a process called polymerization and at the plant thermo-chemical depolymerisation process is done to reconvert plastic to crude oil.
  • In this process plastic waste is heated in a reactor at a very high temperature of between 350-600 degree Celsius in the absence of oxygen, and three components from it –hydrocarbon gases, toxic mix of gases called syngas and carbon black – are derived.
  • Afterwards pyrolysis oil is derived, which is a high grade diesel variant after the hydrocarbon gases are condensed.
  • Instead of letting the toxic gases out into the atmosphere, these are captured in a balloon and reintroduced as heating agents into a process.
  • The entire process is not only energy efficient but also completely green. Also, the process is zero effluent and zero emission.

Links:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/indias-first-plastic-to-diesel-conversion-plant-to-be-operational-from-oct-11/articleshow/71494428.cms
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nathuram-raj-uttar-pradesh-samajwadi-party-chief-akhilesh-yadav-1607985-2019-10-10