Agriwaste-to-fuels plant proposed near Pune gets Rs 250 cr in funding, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Greenjoules Private Ltd. plans to establish an agriwaste-to-fuels plant at Khed City near Pune.
• The plant aims to produce up to 2,00,000 litres of bio-crude per day from agricultural waste.
• The project has secured a total funding of ₹250 crore.
• ₹100 crore of the funding is from the Technology Development Board under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The company targets a total bio-crude production capacity of 5,00,000 litres per day by 2028.

Detailed Insights:

• The new facility at Khed City will be a greenfield plant, complementing an existing 15,000-litre capacity unit at Chakan.
• Greenjoules utilizes a proprietary integrated Catalytic Thermo Cracking process to convert various agriwastes into bio-crude.
• This process uses agricultural residues like paddy straw, groundnut shell, and sugarcane bagasse, thereby addressing the food-versus-fuel issue.
• The bio-crude can be refined to yield 75% renewable diesel and bio-naphtha, which are compatible with existing vehicles and refineries.
• The remaining ₹150 crore funding for the plant comes from investors including Amazon’s Smbhav Venture Fund and Climate Pledge Fund.
• The Khed City plant, set to be developed in phases from 2027, is projected to be the largest of its kind in India.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Bio-crude: A synthetic crude oil derived from biomass, which can be further refined into conventional fuels.
• Agriwaste: Agricultural residues and by-products, such as crop stalks, husks, and bagasse, used as raw material.
• Catalytic Thermo Cracking: A thermochemical process that uses catalysts to break down organic materials into liquid fuels at high temperatures.
• Food-versus-fuel issue: The ethical and economic debate concerning the use of food crops for fuel production instead of human or animal consumption.