Molasses-based ethanol production plant inaugurated

n The plant was inaugurated by Aditya Puri, company managing director, on Wednesday.

n It will help improve financial condition of the SSM.

n Pave way for timely payment to 20,500 sugarcane farmers associated with the mill.

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, December 23

Saraswati Sugar Mills (SSM) has set up a molasses-based ethanol production plant with an investment of 200 crore.

The ethanol production plant will help improve financial condition of the SSM thus paving a way for timely payment to 20,500 sugarcane farmers associated with this mill.

The ethanol plant was inaugurated on Wednesday through video link by Aditya Puri, managing director, SSM.

After offering prayer, the plant was made operational by chief operating officer of the SSM, SK Sachdeva, by pressing a power button.

DP Singh, senior vice-president (Cane), Manoj Verma, AK Bhardwaj, Kuldeep Chaudhari and Sudhir Chandna, in-charge, ethanol plant were also present on the occasion.

Sachdeva said with a production capacity of 100 kilo-litre per day, the plant would be run using molasses produced at the SSM.

They would supply ethanol to petroleum companies, he added.

“This plant will produce 100 kilo-litre ethanol per day. Ethanol is blended with petrol to reduce dependence on crude oil imports,” he said. The plant would also generate direct and indirect employment, he added.

“Molasses of our sugar mill will be used in this plant to produce ethanol. It will help improve financial condition of the SSM and enable timely payment to sugarcane farmers associated with the mill,” he said.

The ethanol plant was constructed by ISGEC, Noida, one of the associate companies of the SSM, he added.

The ethanol unit would be a zero liquid omission unit for which a special type of boiler was installed in the plant, he said.

“The potash content is high in ash of this boiler from which fertiliser will be prepared,” he added.

The plant would produce 45 to 48 per cent carbon dioxide gas during production of ethanol, he said.

“After liquefying, carbon dioxide gas will be used in various kinds of industries,” he added.