International Journal of Environment and Climate Change

The increasing generation of food-processing waste and rising energy demand necessitate sustainable waste-management and renewable-energy solutions. This study evaluated electricity generation from food-processing waste through anaerobic digestion and assessed the economic and environmental performance of an operating biogas power plant. The facility had a design capacity of 500 m³ and processed approximately 8 tonnes of food waste per day. Purified biogas was supplied to a generator producing three-phase electricity at 415 V and 50 Hz. Electricity-meter readings were recorded over 90 days, and the generated power was used for conveying, heating, size reduction, drying, lighting, and supplementary plant operations. Average electricity generation was 645.58 kWh per day, with only modest variation among the nine 10-day observation intervals. The total project cost was reported as ₹8,000,000, while annual revenue from electricity substitution and organic manure was ₹5,490,000. After accounting for the stated operation, maintenance, and auxiliary costs, the reported payback period was approximately 2.1 years. Fuel-equivalent calculations indicated potential reductions in the use of fuelwood, kerosene, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, charcoal, soft coke, furnace oil, and purchased electricity. The findings indicate that anaerobic digestion can support energy recovery and waste management in food-processing facilities. However, the economic and environmental outcomes remain dependent on the assumptions used and require plant-specific validation.