Waste-to-Energy Program: UPSC Daily Important Topic| 8 November 2022

Waste-to-Energy Program

◦ The program is part of an umbrella scheme, the National Bioenergy Programme.

◦ The government will offer financial assistance to project developers, while implementing agencies, including inspection firms, will be paid service charges for commissioning the waste-to-energy plants.

▪ Implementing Agency:

◦ Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) will be the implementing agency for the program.

• IREDA will be paid a service charge of 1% of Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to process applications, besides 1% for the CFA (minimum ₹50,000) for implementing, and monitoring the performance once the plants are commissioned.

▪ Financial Assistance:

◦ The Centre will provide financial assistance of Rs 75 lakh per MW for new biogas plants and Rs 50 lakh per MW for existing units.

◦ If the waste-to-energy plants are set up in special category states, such as the North East, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Uttarakhand, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the eligible CFA will be 20% higher than the standard CFA pattern.