| The new unit, controlled by Grasim's chemical division, will start production within a fortnight. The company has invested Rs 95 crore in the unit. |
| "The trial run has been completed and the new plant is ready for commercial production within 15 days. We have been given consent by the state pollution control board. With this new unit our production will go up from 230 tonnes per day to 400 tonnes per day," a company source told Business Standard. |
| The installed capacity of Grasim's chemical division is 440 tonnes per day for 46- 48.5 per cent lye and 50 tonnes per day for 99.8 per cent flakes. The company has switched from mercury cell technology to membrane cell technology, which is mandatory for all caustic soda manufacturing units in India by 2012. |
| Mercury cell technology poses an environmental problem in its process since it gets entrapped into the circulating brine solution and all the product and byproduct streams, which leads to contamination of the water, wastewater, air and solid wastes generated from the production activities. |
| Moreover, the quantity of mercury involved in the production is very large, its leakage and evaporation of the spilled mercury are observed to be very common and require proper and timely attention. |
| "The company has done away with its earlier plant and the new plant creates no pollution, is environment-friendly and energy-efficient," said the source. |
| Grasim is the second largest caustic soda manufacturing unit in India. The company has also asked for sops and concessions from the state government for the new unit. |
| "The demands of the company are under consideration," said an official in the department of industry. |
| The state has only two caustic soda manufacturing units against 45 units all over India with an installed capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per annum. The State contributes to more than 2 lakh tones of caustic soda to the Indian industry. |
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