Pacific Renewables plans Rs 5000 cr bio-refinery

The US-based Pacific Renewables Inc is planning to set up a bio-refinery in Gujarat.

The company, which has completed a techno-economic feasibility study for the project, is in talks with the state and civic bodies for various clearances.

The estimated Rs 5,000 crore project may be set up on the outskirts of Vadodara city, around 110 km north of Ahmedabad.

Umakant Joshi, director (Canada & India) of Pacific Renewables, said, "We are through with the feasibility report for a possible venture in India and talks have been already initiated with various government agencies of Gujarat for necessary clearances for the plant and also for sourcing raw materials."

Pacific Renewables will be following the co-operative model for procurements of raw material for its operations and raw materials would be mainly municipal and industrial waste, according to Joshi.

Joshi, who was on a visit to Vadodara recently, said, "The bio-refinery would have a capacity of 150 tonne per day. The process of commissioning the pilot project with a refining capacity of 10 tonne per day has been initiated at Pore near Vadodara. The company has already procured land for the pilot project, while the state is expected to sanction land for the entire project."

Joshi added, "Funding is not a problem in view of our own large financial resources. Apart from that we are in touch with bankers including World Bank and Imperial American Bank. We have already acquired a piece of land for $1.8 million in Pore."

Pacific Renewables, which is also setting up a huge 700 tonne per day capacity plant at Nevada in the US, will use automotive shredder residue, sewage and septic sludge, as well as mixed hotel, and apartment wastes as initial feedstock for the refinery.

Pacific is also a Green Power Board, USA, authorised wholesale and retail brokerage house with a special focus on generating tradeable renewable credits from sustainable agricultural and forestry projects.

The company uses municipal organic waste, biomass crops and carbon based materials as bio refinery feedstock to produce ultra-clean bio-diesel, ethanol, hydrogen, power and chemicals.

According to Joshi, the proposed Vadodara refinery would be commissioned in a maximum 18 months. "We will target major companies such as Indian Oil Corporation and Indian Petrochemicals Corporation apart from other petro majors in the country to sell our products," said Joshi.

In a recent communication to the deputy commissioner of industries (Vadodara), Dinesh Amin, the president of Pacific Renewables, Tim Bybee, said, "Pacific Renewables and our representatives are very excited about the possibilities for developing an integrated recycling and bio refinery facility in Vadodara, that will demonstrate that 100 per cent recycling of organic waste and hydrocarbon residues into ultra clean green fuels, chemicals and products using true gasification with near zero emissions. All of our techniques are commercially proven and highly lucrative. We will soon prepare a MoU/ letter of interest for your signature based on a co-operative business model."