Overview

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has been at the forefront of sustainable industrial practices within Indian Railways, emphasizing waste reduction, energy recovery, and environmental stewardship. In alignment with this vision, the Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop (MCSW), Bhubaneswar, became one of the first railway workshops in India to commission a Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant based on Thermo-Catalytic Conversion (TCC) technology. The plant was formally commissioned on 22nd January 2020, marking a major milestone in Indian Railways’ journey toward circular waste management and carbon-neutral operations.

Project Background

Indian Railways, being one of the largest industrial organizations globally, generates significant quantities of complex industrial waste through its manufacturing, maintenance, and repair activities. The Mancheswar Workshop handles carriage overhauling and maintenance, producing a wide range of non-biodegradable and hazardous wastes such as polymer composites, thermoset resins, and rubberized components. Conventional waste management approaches like incineration or landfilling are not viable due to toxic compositions and non-recyclable nature of materials.

To address this, ECoR partnered with Enecovery Waste Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to implement a custom-designed TCC system capable of safely reforming complex waste streams into reusable energy resources, ensuring zero harmful emissions and no toxic residue.

Nature of Waste and Composition

Railway maintenance operations generate a variety of engineering-grade composite and polymeric waste materials, including:

• LP Sheets: Thermosetting resin-bonded, vinyl-coated/laminated sheets used for flooring, wall panels, and table panels.
• Composite Rubber Bushes: DuPont Hytrel-based pads or bushes used to prevent friction.
• Vinyl Rubbers: Used for silent blocks and shock absorbers.
• Rexene (PVC-Coated Fabric): Used as seat and berth upholstery material.
• V-Belts: Made of chloroprene rubber and polyester cord, used for power transmission.
• NFTC Sheets: Flame-retardant composites used for coach roof paneling.
• Waste Grease & ETP Sludge: By-products from cleaning and effluent treatment processes.
• Miscellaneous Hazardous Waste: Paint sludge, FRP residues, oil-contaminated materials, and varnish waste.

Most of these wastes are non-recyclable through conventional methods due to their proprietary resins and flame-retardants, making TCC a viable and sustainable alternative.

Technology and Implementation

Enecovery’s TCC-based Waste-to-Energy Plant was specifically engineered for high-resin, complex industrial waste. Through controlled thermo-catalytic reactions, the plant breaks down polymeric structures at the molecular level into synthetic gas, hydrocarbon oil, and reusable carbon residue — all without generating toxic by-products. The system is designed for continuous operation, zero liquid discharge, low maintenance, and full compliance with environmental standards.

Key Achievements

• Total Waste Mitigated: ~600 tons (industrial + municipal combined)
• Carbon Footprint Reduction: Negative Total Carbon Footprint equivalent to ~1.5 million kg of CO₂ offset
• Emission Performance: No dioxins, furans, or particulate emissions; NOx and SOx below international limits
• Compliance: Fully meets CPCB and MoEF&CC environmental standards
• Energy Recovery: Clean gaseous and liquid fuels reused for internal energy needs
• Operational Sustainability: Zero effluent discharge, minimal residue, and continuous reliability

Environmental and Strategic Impact

The success of Enecovery’s TCC-based Waste-to-Energy system has set a national benchmark in sustainable waste management for Indian Railways. It has proven the feasibility of transforming non-recyclable waste into valuable energy, significantly reducing the environmental burden of hazardous disposal.

This initiative aligns with the Swachh Bharat Mission, Net Zero Emission Vision 2070, and Indian Railways’ goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. By adopting circular economy principles, ECoR has demonstrated leadership in ensuring that waste from one process becomes a resource for another — setting a new standard for green innovation in the transport sector.