Simbhaoli Sugar plans expansion

Simbhaoli Sugar Mills is in expansion mode. Having increased its crushing capacity at Simbhaoli from 7,500 to 9,500 tonnes crushed daily (TCD), it now plans to increase the power co-generation at Simbhaoli from 5 Mw to 16 Mw.

Crushing capacity at the company's Chilwaria plant would be expanded from 3,800 TCD to 6,600 TCD. A new ethanol distillery would also come up at Chilwaria with a capacity of 18 million litres.

"Both these facilities would be operational by August 2007," said Sanjay Tapriya, director, finance. The co-generation at Chilwaria would also increase from 8 Mw to 29 Mw by January 2007.

A new integrated sugar plant would come up at Brijnathpur by March 2007. This plant would have a crushing capacity of 4,000 TCD, a power co-generation of 8 Mw and an ethanol distillery with a capacity of 18 million litres.

This would take the total ethanol produce to 54 million tonnes, from the current 18 million tonnes.

"The entire expansion would be complete by March 2007 and would involve an investment of about Rs 403 crore," said Sanjay Tapriya, director, finance.

On Reliance Industries' planned foray into ethanol production in Maharashtra, GS Mann, managing director, Simbhaoli Sugars, said it would not have a significant impact on the sugar industry.

The company's managing director added that producing ethanol directly from sugarcane would not be economically viable for Reliance, as most of the companies produce ethanol as a by-product from molasses.