India’s first green methanol plant to turn Kutch’s most invasive weed into marine fuel, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• India's first green methanol plant will be established at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in Kandla, using the invasive weed Prosopis juliflora as feedstock.
• The plant aims to produce five tonnes of methanol per day, utilizing gasification technology from Ankur Scientific and construction by Thermax Energy.
• Green methanol can reduce a vessel's CO₂ emissions by up to 95% and NOx emissions by up to 80%, while eliminating sulphur oxides and particulate matter.
• The project aligns with the Indian government's initiative to convert ports along the western coast into "green ports" and comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules.

Detailed Insights:

• Prosopis juliflora, introduced in the 1920s and 1961 to green Delhi and halt desertification in the Rann, has become an invasive species threatening biodiversity in Kutch's Banni grasslands.
• The green methanol plant will use Prosopis juliflora as biomass, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional methanol produced from fossil fuels like gas or coal.
• Ankur Scientific's gasification technology converts the weed into syngas (hydrogen, CO, and CO₂), which Thermax Energy then processes into methanol.
• The plant can also use other agricultural residues like bagasse and cotton stalk, potentially displacing up to a third of India's oil imports.
• The initiative supports the global shipping industry's transition to cleaner fuels under IMO regulations, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Green Methanol: Methanol produced from renewable sources like biomass, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-based methanol.
• Gasification: A process of converting biomass into syngas by heating it in the absence of oxygen.
• Syngas: A mixture of gases, primarily hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, used as a building block for fuels and chemicals.