Technology licensor and EPCM partner Praj has announced the unveiling of the Asia’s first 2G Ethanol Bio-Refinery at Panipat Haryana for Indian Oil Corporation. Inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the project is said to boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative and help achieve 20% ethanol blending.
The commissioning of the Bio-Refinery has begun in the first week of August 2022 and commercial production of 2G Ethanol will commence within 90 days.
According to a press release for Praj, the project is based on its proprietary technology of processing rice straw as feedstock for the production of Ethanol.
Praj’s indigenously developed ‘enfinity’ technology processes different agricultural residues to produce a variety of products, including Bioethanol, Lignosulphonates, and Bio-bitumen, with the highest efficiencies, the company noted.
Spread across 35 acres, the 2G Ethanol Bio-Refinery is capable of processing two lakh tonnes of rice straw annually to generate around three crore litres of Ethanol. The bio-refinery is also expected to create around 1,500 jobs for rural youth.
Additionally, it will help address the major challenge of stubble-burning-related pollution by eliminating around 320,000 MT of CO2 every year and will save foreign exchange worth INR 55 crore to 60 crore every year that is otherwise incurred on fuel imports.
Modi said, “With establishment of this modern plant, farmers of Haryana, where rice and wheat are grown in abundance, will get another lucrative means of using crop residue. Farmers will now feel the pride of contributing to production of biofuel and nation building.”
Dr Pramod Chaudhari, Founder Chairman, Praj, said, “This plant is a huge milestone in realising the Prime Minister’s vision of energy independent India. We believe success of this project reinforces India’s technology leadership in global Bioeconomy.”
Interestingly, Praj is also setting up similar projects for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), Bhatinda, Punjab and, Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), Bargarh, Orissa.