Pune, 14th July 2026: City's long-delayed waste-to-energy project is finally set to move forward, with electricity generation expected to begin by November. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has directed the contractor to process 600 tonnes of dry waste per day by then after receiving a major financial boost from the Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
The PFC has sanctioned ₹243 crore for the project, and the first instalment of ₹130 crore has already been released to the contractor. The funding is expected to accelerate the completion of the plant, which has remained stalled despite being awarded in 2017.
PMC had awarded the waste-to-energy contract to Pune Bio Energy Systems in 2017 to scientifically process the city's dry waste and generate electricity. An RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) processing facility began operations at Ramtekdi in 2019, but the electricity generation component never became operational.
Although the plant was designed to handle 750 tonnes of waste per day, it has been processing only about 250 tonnes daily, creating challenges for the civic body in managing the city's growing waste.
The project includes installation of boilers and other equipment required to generate 13.19 MW of electricity. PMC has committed ₹89.95 crore towards the project, of which ₹59.95 crore has already been paid. The contractor will invest an additional ₹50 crore, while the remaining funds are being provided through the PFC loan.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajit Nair said the release of the first ₹130 crore from the sanctioned PFC loan should enable the contractor to speed up work.
He said the company has been instructed to begin processing 600 tonnes of waste daily by November, while the plant should reach its full capacity of 750 tonnes per day by April, allowing regular electricity generation from municipal waste.
