Panipat's ethanol plant to provide additional income to farmers, says Pramod Chaudhari, Executive chief, Praj industries

Promising cleaner air, PM Narendra Modi last week inaugurated a 2G ethanol plant in Panipat. The plant is based on “Infinity” technology developed by Praj Industries Ltd. In an interview with Sanjeev Singh Bariana, its Executive Chairman Dr Pramod Chaudhari talks about the significance of the plant. In simple words, he says, one Indian Oil Corporation Limited 2G plant would help eliminate carbon emissions equivalent to taking away around 63,000 cars annually from the country’s roads. Exerpts:

What does the ethanol plant mean for the common man?

The first-of-its-kind ethanol biorefinery plant in Panipat is of historical importance globally. There is no other project around the world of similar scale and size for converting agricultural waste, specifically paddy remnants, into a value-added product. Bioethanol is a renewable fuel made from plant material blended with petrol to minimise air pollution. Being a low carbon fuel, ethanol significantly reduces carbon emission from vehicles.

How is the conversion of biomass to a second-generation renewable fuel technology a step forward for Praj?

The 1G ethanol plants make use of feedstock, such as spoilt grain, sugarcane juice and molasses, as raw materials to produce ethanol. The 2G plants are making use of surplus cellulosic biomass and agricultural waste. We have developed a biochemical and biothermal process technology to convert biomass for the production of ethanol. Conceived more than a decade ago, we successfully developed, tested and scaled up the 2G technology for its eventual commercialisation in 2018-2019.

You are the founder chairman of Praj, the flagbearer of bioeconomy in India. Share highlights of your journey.

In 1988, we began our journey to create a world-class industrial biotechnology specialising in agri-processing. Praj has fostered entrepreneurship and technology innovation in bioenergy space. It has its presence in more than 1,000 locations across more than 100 countries. Praj was awarded the prestigious Golden Peacock Eco-Innovation Award for work on 2G technology. I became the first Indian to receive the George Washington Carver Award, 2020, and William Holmberg Award, 2022, from US-based institutions for significant contribution to global bioeconomy.

Farmers are said to benefit from the plant. How?

The refinery will provide farmers additional income from their agricultural residue after harvesting. The biorefinery will offer direct and indirect jobs related to operations of the plant. It entails entrepreneurship opportunities in managing the feedstock supply chain, e.g biomass aggregation and logistics. The plant will create employment in rural areas for aggregation and transportation of biomass.

Are more projects on the same lines coming up in other places?

Yes, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had announced that it was setting up the first batch of 12 2G biorefineries with an investment of Rs14,000 crore. We are at the advanced stage of setting up similar projects for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bathinda, Punjab, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bargarh, Odisha.

What are the other areas in which Praj is working? Any results expected in the short term?

Today, 10 per cent ethanol is blended with 90 per cent gasoline. The next milestone is to step up ethanol capacity and production so as to achieve 20 per cent blending by the 2025-26 financial year.

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