Rs 400 cr ethanol plant to be set up in Una

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 19

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) will set up a Rs 400 crore grain-based ethanol plant with a capacity of 125 KL per day in Una district.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said here today that the state government would provide about 70 acres for the plant and a rail-fed POL terminal of higher capacity.

“Major raw materials

for producing ethanol such as rice and maize will be procured from Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Una districts, besides Hoshiarpur and Rupnagar districts of Punjab,” he added.

He said that the project would be set up at a cost of Rs 400 crore and would provide direct and indirect employment to about 300 persons.

Besides, the project would accelerate the pace of development in the state and earn an

annual revenue of Rs 20 to Rs 25 crore for the exchequer in the form of State GST, he added.

Thakur said that during a recent visit to New Delhi, he requested Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to set up an ethanol plant through the HPCL in the state.

The plant produces ethanol from grains to be mixed in petrol and diesel, which in turn will help in reducing pollution due to vehicular emission. This would also help in protecting the environment in the state, he added.

State govt to provide 70 acres

• The state government will provide about 70 acres for the plant and a rail-fed POL terminal of higher capacity
• Major raw materials such as rice and maize will be procured from Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Una districts, besides Hoshiarpur and Rupnagar districts of Punjab, says the CM
• The project will provide direct and indirect employment to about 300 persons