Balrampur to increase crushing capacity

Vivek Saraogi-controlled Balrampur Chini Mills (BCM) will increase its sugarcane crushing capacity from 55,000 tonnes crushed daily (tcd) in 2006-07 sugar season (October-September) to 74,000 tcd in the next season.

Post-expansion, the company will become the second leading company in terms of crushing capacity usurping Triveni Engineering and Industries (61,000 tcd).

Bajaj Hindusthan, with a capacity of 95,000 tcd (to reach 1,36,000 tcd next year), is still on the number one position. "We are investing about Rs 600 crore to start greenfield sugar plants at Kumbhi and Guleria in Uttar Pradesh. Both these units will have a capacity of 8,000 tcd each and will become operational from October. Kumbhi will have a saleable cogeneration of 10mw while Guleria will have another 20mw," Saraogi said.

BCM got control over the two sites only a month ago when the Supreme Court ruled in its favour in its dispute with Ojas Industries regarding the radial minimum distance norm between two sugar mills.

Apart from these two units that will together add 16,000 tcd to BCM's capacity, the company has completed the acquisition of a 3000-tcd unit at Maizapur (UP) following the purchase of 47.6 per cent equity shares in Indo-Gulf Industries.

BCM will produce about 8.8 lakh tonnes of sugar this season and is expected to produce about 11 lakh tonnes next season, added Saraogi.

The cogeneration of power will increase from 80mw to 120mw next season while the distillery capacity will remain same as this season's 320 kilolitres daily.