Praj a step closer to commercial scale second generation ethanol plant

Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), a major Indian oil company, has given a letter of acceptance of Praj Industries for its proprietary technology, basic engineering and design package. According to Praj, a process and project engineering company, the agreement is a major milestone towards commencement of work on a second generation ethanol biorefinery with a 100kilolitre per day production capacity.

The new facility will be set up by BPCL at Bargarh, Odisha, with biomass feedstock sourced from the local farming community.

Praj was awarded the letter of acceptance following the performance evaluation of its second generation integrated biorefinery demonstration plant in Maharashtra.

“We are excited about the growth prospects of renewable fuels and chemicals with the establishment of our second generation ethanol technology,” said Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj Industries.

“This techno-socio-economic model is aimed at bringing additional revenue stream to the farming community while striking a balance between India’s growth aspirations and environment.”