India’s first biogas powered EV charger debuted in Mumbai

The advantage associated with electric cars is that they are the best for the environment in terms of zero-emissions, it comes with a challenge. Charging – The electricity used to charge the EV is not environmentally friendly. And this is where technology is constantly coming into the picture with new innovations. The latest is India’s first biogas powered EV charger.

Launched a few days ago, GO EC has been set up in the Mahalakshmi suburb of Mumbai. In partnership with Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Aerocare has installed Clean Energy Biogas powered EV chargers. The system has received a grant from the Department of Biotechnology (BIRAC) as well as the Government of India. The charger has a mechanism that converts the residual food of various organizations into useful gas like methane which produces electricity.

“We already have a decentralized waste management system, as a by-product of fertilizer,” said AeroCare CEO Ankit Xavier. “We process two tons of waste a day, which is about 180-200 m.³ Of methane, which converts it into electricity. “

Mustafa Sheikh, in-charge of the plant, said, “Geo EC is also present in Kerala and we initially plan to supply electricity generated by street lights. Later, we entered into an agreement with the Kerala unit to charge electric vehicles. ”

Talking in detail about how the system works, Sheikh said, “Food waste, which is a raw material, is first crushed into pieces before being sent to the hydrolyzer. It is then sent to a mixing tank and transferred to the digester tank, from where it is purified and stored in a balloon. Finally, a generator converts gas into electricity. ” The digester tank has the capacity to hold about 1 million liters of slurry, which is maintained at 40 degrees Celsius, he added.

The company plans to upgrade the chargers when it comes to factoring in charging speed.

The charging process is quite simple, all you have to do is: download the app – top up the wallet – and pay, and you’re there! The introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags is also in the pipeline, the company claims.

The results of the first test, according to the company, reveal extensive statistics – the ZS EV was charged for 14 minutes at 6.95kWh and shows a percentage of the battery is 14, priced at Rs. 118.

The company is ready to install an EV charger in every ward of Mumbai and is also looking forward to setting up a new one in Ahmedabad.