Advanced BioFuels USA

by Santosh Singh (Indian Express) … About 200 km to the east, a former brick-kiln owner is juggling “at least 200 calls every day”, from farmers, traders, suppliers and job-seekers ready to sign up for the new ethanol plant he is promoting in Purnia.

“This is just the beginning,” says Bihar’s Industry Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.

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Automation is the operative word in Purnia, too, where the first grain-based greenfield ethanol plant has come up. “The place where we have set up the plant, on 15 acres, used to be a brick kiln. Today, farmers and traders in maize and broken-rice and also poultry and fish feed, byproducts of a grain-based plant, have started flocking to us,” says Vishesh Kumar Verma, one of the promoters of Eastern India Biofuels Pvt Ltd (EIBPL), adding that the plant needs 170 tonnes of maize/ broken rice daily.

Inaugurated by the Chief Minister on April 30, the plant’s location is tied to the fact that Purnia and neighbouring Katihar, Khagaria and Saharsa, are at the heart of the state’s maize hub. With the Centre’s push for alternate fuel, and its green signal for mixing upto 20 per cent of ethanol in petrol and diesel, Verma is upbeat.

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EIBPL plans to buy 130 tonnes of rice husk and 145-150 tonnes of maize or rice from local farmers and traders every day. It will also produce 27 tonnes of DDGS (distiller’s dried grains with solubles) — a by-product of bioethanol fermentation, which will be sold as poultry feed.

“The ethanol will be sold to oil marketing companies namely Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum in Bihar and neighbouring West Bengal and Jharkhand, for which a 10-year term purchase agreement has been signed (with the OMCs),” says Verma.

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The plant directly employs about 55 people, and provides indirect employment to about 1,000 people,” he says.

According to A P Singh, a principal consultant with Global Canesugar Services which set up the plant and looks after its operations, one quintal of rice produces about 450 litres of ethanol while an equal amount of maize generates about 400 litres.

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“The entire process is automated. We use our own power plant in place of government supply to ensure hassle-free production,” says Pathak, adding that the production technology ensures “zero liquid discharge”.

Says Manish Kumar Choudhary, CEO of Aranyak Agri Producers Company, who visited the plant last week: “We have a huge chain of farmers from whom we can procure grains. We provide linkages and look forward to working with the Purnia plant.” Says Kuldeep Jain, a trader from Siliguri: “I want to purchase DDGS from this plant and supply poultry and fish feed to Andhra Pradesh.”

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Local maize farmers are also excited. “Though we can sell maize in Gilab Bagh in Purnia, which is a big grain market, this plant can buy our sub-standard grain as well,” says Shanker Singh, from Kritya Nand Nagar in Purnia.  READ MORE