MNRE: Loan interest subvention scheme for innovative WtE projects

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched a loan interest subvention scheme in association with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) to provide financial assistance for innovative waste to energy bio-methanation projects.

As per an official release from the MNRE, the project aims to promote investment in renewable energy technologies by transforming the market for using urban and industrial organic waste for MSME industrial energy applications in India. It therefore focuses on demonstration and scale-up of innovative Industrial Organic Waste-to-Energy (IOWtE) biomethanation technologies and business models and thereby contribute to environmentally sound waste management in India.

A GIS-based inventory tool of organic waste streams developed under the GEF-MNRE-UNIDO project has also been released. This provides district level estimates of available urban and industrial organic wastes and their energy generation potential across India. The GIS tool will enable SME’s and project developers to set up new waste to energy projects and may facilitate the rapid growth of biomethanation in waste-to-energy sector in the country.