Carbon Sequestration Potential in Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants of Indian Cities

摘要

Carbon sequestration is a new technology that is gaining importance in combating the harmful effects of global warming. The potential for carbon sequestration from domestic sewage treatment plants operating in India was studied. Based on the data provided by the Government of India on the generation of domestic sewage by State, the organic load generation, sequestration potential and net release of CO_2 were calculated. By going in for carbon sequestration, domestic sewage treatment in India has a potential to be a carbon neutral sector with a capacity to store 22 thousand tonnes of CO_2 every day at current levels. The Government of India's focus is on increasing the share of renewable energy sources to combat emissions; however, carbon sequestration technology would be an ideal solution for deployment over the time period required for renewable energy' share to become significant. Three metro cities, viz., Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai are immediate prospects that could adopt this technology, followed by other cities. The prevalent Renewable Energy Credit Trading Scheme in India can support carbon sequestration technology infusion.