Smaat Aqua says it can generate about 40kw of power from 22 lakh litres of sewage a day; the power is then used to run sewage-treatment plants.
K While efforts to generate power from municipal solid waste are still being tried out in various parts of the country, Hyderabad-based Smaat Aqua Technologies is working on a technology to generate power from sewage water.
The start-up with about `25 crore revenue is trying out the technology it has developed at one sewage treatment plant in Andhra Pradesh. The company, which aims to be a specialist in water treatment, has already installed about 75 sewage treatment plants in various parts of the country. The new power co-generation model is being tried out at one such plant.
“Power generation from sewerage is a very complex process. We have just started on this and we are able to generate about 40 kilowatts of power using a throughput of about 22 lakh litres of sewage per day. This power will be sufficient to operate the treatment plant without drawing power from other sources. We are now looking at the option of scaling up the power generation, though there are several questions that are yet to be answered,” Karunakara Reddy, managing director of Smaat Aqua, said.
The company captures methane gas from the sewage plants and uses it to generate power. However, Reddy said, the process of capturing enough methane gas itself is a major issue. “We have evaluated various types of sewage water. The results were interesting. The methane gas content is more in the sewage flowing from lower and middle class housing areas. But, the sewage from upmarket residential areas is difficult to treat due to various contents coming through the drains including cheese, butter etc. It is extremely difficult to treat this sewage and tap methane,” he explained.
The company is keen on getting about 80% of its revenues from solid waste management and water recycling. The balance would come from clear water business, though air treatment is also a part of its portfolio. “For now, we are focusing more on clear water. But that would change going forward once our projects and orders are in place,” he said.
While domestic water treatment is emerging as a major opportunity in view of the increasing concerns over water borne diseases, the company is focusing on bulk water treatment.
In a first-of-its-kind effort, Smaat Aqua has already developed a mobile water treatment plant to cater to the drinking water requirements in flood-affected areas.
“Normally, we see the government agencies dumping packaged water using helicopters in the flood-hit areas. But, we have developed a mobile water treatment plant that is carried to the affected areas. Since, we already have proven technologies to treat any kind of water, we can draw water from any available source, though the areas are inundated, then treat it and supply potable water to the flood victims,” he explained. The company has deployed 11 such plants in West Bengal.
Smaat Aqua is planning to tap the venture capital or primary market for funding its expansion after three years once its revenues cross Rs100 crore mark.
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