Common cane crushing days of the sugar mills have decreased by 20% growing manufacturing prices, says minister Nitin Gadkari

“The capacities of the sugar mills are growing day-by- day whereas the sugarcane manufacturing stays static. This has resulted in a lower in common cane crushing days from 150 days to 120 days. For the remaining 200 days, the sugar mill equipment and manpower stay idle leading to larger overhead and manufacturing prices,” stated Gadkari, including, “To show across the scenario, the sugarmill must discover a resolution to make the most of these sources and enhance the variety of working days by diversifying their product portfolios to ethanol, compressed biogas CBG , hydrogen and different value-added merchandise.”

“To realize a goal of 20% mixing by 2025 and to satisfy the requirement of alcohol for industrial and potable functions, round 12000 million liters of alcohol can be required. Because of the efficient Authorities insurance policies, the availability of ethanol to the Oil Advertising and marketing Corporations has been elevated by greater than 13 occasions to about 5020 million litres within the 12 months 2022-23 from 380 million litres within the final decade. The ethanol mixing proportion has additionally elevated from 1.5% in 2013-14 to the focused 12% in 2022-23,” stated Gadkari.

Gadkari stated that within the final 10 years, the sugar mills have generated income of greater than 940 billions Rupees from the sale of ethanol. “The manufacturing of ethanol has led to discount in import of crude oil, which has resulted in saving of priceless international alternate for India. Within the final 12 months solely India has saved about 243 billion Rupees of international alternate and improved India’s vitality safety state of affairs,” he stated.

The Ethanol Mixing Programme goes by means of a lean section resulting from estimated decrease sugar manufacturing within the ongoing season of 2023-24. “Nonetheless, the scenario might enhance when sugar manufacturing will increase within the coming years. To turn out to be extra sustainable, the Sugar and Allied business have to search for complementary feedstock corresponding to sugar beet and corn for ethanol manufacturing. It also needs to be famous that dual-feed mode needs to be adopted by the Distillery Trade in view of the dynamic market of ethanol feedstock,” stated Gadkari.

Below the Sustainable Different In direction of Inexpensive Transportation initiative, the SATAT programme, numerous waste streams corresponding to animal dung, agricultural residues, municipal strong waste, sewage water and industrial wastes corresponding to press mud, spent wash from the sugar Trade, waste from the meals processing business is taken into account because the feedstock for the manufacturing of CBG.
“The Authorities just lately introduced obligatory mixing of CBG in Compressed Pure Gasoline and Piped Pure Gasoline in metropolis fuel distribution. CBG Mixing Obligation will promote the manufacturing and consumption of CBG within the nation and CBG mixing needs to be at round 5% by the 12 months 2028-29. It should additionally encourage funding of round 375 billions Rupees and facilitate institution of 750 CBG initiatives by the 12 months 2028-29,” stated Gadkari.
Advising the sugar mills to combine the BioCBG initiatives with the prevailing sugar mill advanced, Gadkari stated, “The fuel produced within the sugar mill can be utilized to energy autos for transportation or to function different gear corresponding to Diesel Generator units. It will assist in lowering the gas bills and carbon footprint of the sugar mills. The fuel will also be offered to grease corporations or on to the shoppers by means of the sugar mill’s personal fuel pumps or by means of different retailers. It will assist to create a marketplace for BioCBG and in addition enhance the profitability of the sugar mills. To make sure a gradual provide of CBG all year long, it’s important for the sugar mills to not rely solely on press mud and spent wash but additionally use different feeds, corresponding to sugarcane bagasse, bagasse pith and napier grass.”

The sugar business has extra energy generated after its captive consumption. “Now-a-days extra electrical energy is offered to the grid. Day-by-day the tariff for electrical energy goes down. With extra electrical energy The Sugar Trade has a possibility to provide Hydrogen utilizing water electrolysis. Bagasse in sugar mills will also be used for manufacturing of Hydrogen utilizing gasification. As well as, CBG will also be used for manufacturing of Hydrogen utilizing Steam Methane Reforming. Different value-added Product – Potash.

India imports round 4.5 million tonnes of potash for agricultural use. Then again, incineration boilers generate an enormous amount of ash which comprises potash. Nonetheless, ash disposal is among the main issues confronted by the Distillery Trade. Now in India, about 100 incineration boilers are put in in distilleries. There’s a potential of just about 0.4 hundreds of thousands of potash, this may assist to avoid wasting potash import and thereby international alternate,” stated Gadkari.