Bengaluru, October 17, 2025 β In a landmark move toward sustainable urban waste management and clean energy, the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to convert the cityβs daily wet waste into usable biogas.
The agreement was formalised at Vidhana Soudha, where GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao and GAIL Executive Director S.N. Yadav signed on behalf of their respective organisations. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that GAIL will invest βΉ123 crore to develop the plant, and the state government has already allocated land for the project.
β Project Scope & Objectives
- The plant will process approximately 500 tonnes of wet waste daily, collected under 33 waste-management packages in Bengaluru.
- It is expected to supply biogas to households, hotels and industries, thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels and improving urban sanitation.
- The MoU also includes a separate Concession Agreement under which GAIL, GBA and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) will set up a Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant at Haralakunte Village in Bengaluru South Taluk. The plant will process 300 tonnes of segregated municipal solid waste per day and produce around 12.6 tonnes of CBG and 22 tonnes of fermented organic manure (FOM) daily.
β Why This Matters
Bengaluru has grappled with mounting waste-management challenges for years, including overflowing landfills, inefficient collection systems and public complaints about sanitation. By converting organic wet waste into energy, this initiative aims to provide a dual benefit: improved urban hygiene and cleaner energy generation.
GAIL, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise known for gas transmission, distribution and petrochemicals, is bringing its expertise to the renewable and circular-economy space through this partnership.
β οΈ Challenges & Considerations
While the pact is ambitious, its success depends on several factors:
- Ensuring reliable segregation of wet waste at source to meet project feed-stock requirements.
- Managing technical integration of the plant with biogas distribution networks and maintaining operational viability.
- Engagement with local communities and stakeholders to maintain waste-collection discipline and reduce contamination.
π Connected Initiatives
While waste-to-energy tackles disposal and fuels, Bengaluru is also pushing ahead with clean-energy generation in other forms. For example, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is converting dry lakebeds around the city into solar parks under its lakebed-solar initiative. (Read more about that project here: BESCOM Solar Lakebed Initiative Bengaluru)
π― Outlook
The project is expected to become operational in the coming year, setting an example for other urban centres in India. If successful, this could pave the way for further expansion of waste-to-energy and biogas facilities across Karnataka and beyond, aligning with the Government of Indiaβs SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) and Swachh Bharat Mission frameworks.