GACL And GAIL Signed MoU For Setting Up A 500 KLD Bioethanol Plant In Gujarat

Vadodara, Gujarat /PRNewswire/ - Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) and GAIL (India) Limited (GAIL) have joined hands to set-up a Bioethanol plant of 500 KLD capacity. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up a Bioethanol plant in Gujarat and cooperation in other business areas of mutual interest was signed by Shri M V Iyer, Director (Business Development) of GAIL and Shri Milind Torawane, IAS, Managing Director of GACL in the presence of Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri K Kailashnathan, IAS (Retd.), Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Pankaj Joshi, IAS, Addl. Chief Secretary to Chief Minister of Gujarat and Shri Manoj Jain CMD of GAIL at Gandhinagar.

This step is taken in response to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India's call for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. The Hon'ble Prime Minister has launched a Roadmap for 20% Ethanol Blending in Petrol by 2025, with a view to reduce import of crude oil and save valuable foreign exchange.

This plant will be using corn/broken rice as feedstock with eco-friendly technology and it will produce 500 KLD Bioethanol, which will be used for blending in petrol. As by-products from this plant, 135 KTPA Protein-rich Animal feed and 16.50 KTPA of Corn Oil while using corn as feedstock are also expected to be produced.

Dahod, Panchmahal, Aravalli and Mahisagar are major corn-producing districts in Gujarat and hence the project is likely to come up in one of these districts. A Detailed Feasibility Study through a third party is in progress for the project.

The estimated project cost is to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crores and it is expected to generate annual revenue of approximately Rs. 1500 crores.

An estimated savings of USD 70 million per year in Foreign Exchange outgo is expected through this project. Beyond the savings, this project will also generate direct and indirect employment for around 700 individuals. Long term supply contract for corn would encourage corn farming with sustainable, multi-fold income for farmers through increased productivity and assured market. Steps will also be taken to improve the productivity of corn in the State with the help of the Maize Research Centre in Godhra.

About GACL:
Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) was established in the year 1973 in Vadodara, Gujarat to manufacture Caustic Soda and allied products. Promoted by the Government of Gujarat, by harping on cutting edge technology, groundbreaking research and development and through strategic diversification, GACL has emerged as one of the largest manufacturers of caustic soda with around 12% share in domestic caustic soda market. From an initial capacity of 37,425 TPA caustic soda, the organization has enhanced its capacity to 4,30,000 TPA and the facilities are spread over 2 complexes at Vadodara and Dahej. From its two facilities, GACL now offers 36 products. GACL is also the first state promoted enterprise to adopt renewable wind energy to fuel its progress. The Organisation has a current total installed Wind Power capacity of 171.45 MW and 35 MW Solar Power Project for its captive use, which caters more than 25% of energy requirements. For more information about GACL visit: www.gacl.com

About GAIL:
GAIL is India's leading natural gas company with diversified interests across the natural gas value chain of trading, transmission, LPG production & transmission, LNG re-gasification, petrochemicals, city gas, E&P, etc. It owns and operates a network of 13,700 km of natural gas pipelines spread across the length and breadth of country. It is also working concurrently on execution of multiple pipeline projects to further enhance the spread. GAIL and its Subsidiaries / JVs also have a formidable market share in City Gas Distribution. In the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) market, GAIL has significantly large portfolio. GAIL is also expanding its presence in renewable energy like Solar, Wind and Biofuel. For more information about GAIL visit: www.gailonline.com