Praj to set up ethanol plant for Tata Chemicals

Close on the heels of selling 7% stake to Tata Sons, ethanol technology and engineering company Praj Industries has bagged an order from Tata Chemicals to set up a fully integrated, commercial scale plant for ethanol production from sweet sorghum.

The 30,000 litre per day plant will be set up in Nanded district of Maharashtra by Tata Chemicals, an official release said. The plant will have a capacity to crush 900 tonne of sweet sorghum per day, it  added.

Neither Praj nor Tata Chemicals disclosed the order size or the investment being made for the project.

Sweet sorghum has the characteristics of grain sorghum and sugarcane wherein the stalk contains non-crystalline sugar that can be converted into ethanol. Tata Chemicals will cultivate sweet sorghum in about 4,000 hectares of land for which the company has made arrangements with local farmers. The plant will generate its own power with the help of bagasse generated from the milled stock.

The communication, quoting S. Sriram, head of bio-fuels project at Tata Chemicals, said: "Our confidence in this project has come from the fact that Praj has carried out extensive trials on sweet sorghum and that they understand the entire chain. "

Abhay Chaudhari, executive vice president, Praj, added: "We have cultivated sweet sorghum in over 10 countries, and have demonstrated the results on a large capacity plant.  Sweet sorghum is a beginning and the realization of the vision of our chairman Pramod Chaudhari towards sustainable feedstock for ethanol production."

Praj has also signed a memorandum of association (MOA) with the department of agriculture of the Philippines government to promote energy crops and technology for biofuels production in Philippines.  The MOA was signed during the recent visit of Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to India.

The government of Philippines has mandated 5% blending of biofuels in all transport fuel sold in the country, and are keen to increase the blending limits.  It is also an effort to promote local feedstock including sugarcane, cassava (bioethanol), coconut palm oil (biodiesel)and new energy crops like sweet sorghum for bioethanol and Jatropha for biodiesel.

Shashank Inamdar, managing director and CEO, Praj, said: "We are proud to be associated with the Philippines biofuels program.  Our plant will supply the first ethanol fuel to support the Philippines biofuels program."