India is likely to witness one of the most significant initiatives in favor of greener marine shipping fuels with a green methanol production facility coming up at Deendayal Port, Gujarat. The initiative aims at producing fuel from locally-sourced biomatter, reducing imports, and contributing towards India’s environmental goals.
India’s first green methanol production facility planned:
India’s industrial equipment company Thermax Ltd and leading bioenergy firm Ankur Scientific have come together to set up a facility for the production of green methanol at DPA (Deendayal Port Authority) in Kandla.
This facility will produce 18,000 tonnes of methanol annually, which will account for almost half of India’s requirement of 37,000 tonnes of green methanol by 2030. The product will primarily be used for the marine sector that is responsible for producing 3 per cent of total emission in India.
Locally available Ganda Baval (mesquite) biomass is likely to be the primary raw material used by this project. This biomass is currently of little agricultural value and will now be processed into clean fuel using scientific processes.
Fuel created from waste biomass:
This unit will be erected within the premises of the port covering an area of roughly one acre. The facility is anticipated to manufacture five tonnes of methanol fuel each day.
The methanol fuel will adhere to stringent international quality parameters, such as ASTM Grade with greater than 99.9% purity and certified European Union standards for green bio-methanol fuel. Methanol fuel will be employed as a substitute for conventional fossil fuels and serve as a better energy choice for ship propulsion.
Ankur Scientific’s biomass gasification technology along with Thermax’s fuel processing knowledge and capabilities have been employed to convert waste materials into energy resources.
Increasing need for environmental-friendly ports:
Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairman of IRSME at Deendayal Port Authority, remarked that, “With the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways focusing on green fuels usage, we are proud to contribute to this initiative at Deendayal Port. This project will make a substantial contribution to sustainable solutions in the maritime industry while ensuring our commitment to future-ready port operations.”
Mr Ankur Jain, Managing Director, Ankur Scientific, said that, “It gives us great pride to be associated with such a program that showcases how biomass can make an impact towards sustainable fuel production on a large scale.”
This project is poised to set an example for future endeavors in the manufacture of environmentally friendly methanol for other ports in India.
