{"id":316485,"date":"2023-08-29T09:26:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T09:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/?p=316485"},"modified":"2023-08-29T09:26:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T09:26:00","slug":"carbon-dioxide-to-ethanol-chennai-based-ramcharan-springs-another-surprise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/india\/carbon-dioxide-to-ethanol-chennai-based-ramcharan-springs-another-surprise\/","title":{"rendered":"Carbon dioxide to ethanol: Chennai-based Ramcharan springs another surprise"},"content":{"rendered":"
If the claims made by Chennai-headquartered firm Ramcharan Company are to be believed, the company’s technology for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into ethanol could produce fuel-grade ethanol for Rs 35 per litre, suitable for fuel blending.<\/strong><\/p>\n Shine Jacob reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even as India aims to achieve a 20 per cent blend of petrol with ethanol by 2025, the price of ethanol could become a concern for oil-marketing companies (OMCs).<\/p>\n If the claims made by Chennai-headquartered firm Ramcharan Company are to be believed, the company’s technology for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into ethanol could produce fuel-grade ethanol for Rs 35 per litre, suitable for fuel blending.<\/p>\n The company has already forged a partnership with Nikhil Gadkari-led MANAS Agro Industries & Infrastructure to convert various effluents into energy and value-added products.<\/p>\n Nikhil Gadkari is the son of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.<\/p>\n In December 2021, the relatively unknown Ramcharan Company made headlines by securing a $4.14 billion investment for a 46 per cent stake from US-based fund TFCC International, raising the company’s valuation to over $9 billion.<\/p>\n Using Ramcharan’s solutions, MANAS aims to develop systems that can lead to a zero-discharge unit.<\/p>\n Ramcharan is currently in the process of establishing a CO2-to-ethanol plant at MANAS’ location in Nagpur.<\/p>\n It employs a patented mini-reactor to convert any volume of discharged CO2 into fuel-grade ethanol, suitable for fuel blending.<\/p>\n Ramcharan is also in talks with companies like the public sector coal major Neyveli Lignite and players in the power, steel, and cement sectors, among others, to share this technology.<\/p>\n “We are likely the only company worldwide with a patent for such technology, offering ethanol at a lower price of Rs 35 per litre.<\/p>\n “This stands in contrast to the higher price range at which OMCs currently procure ethanol.<\/p>\n “Furthermore, there are no input costs,” states Kaushik Palicha, owner of Ramcharan, in an interview with Business Standard<\/em>.<\/p>\n This is in comparison to prices of Rs 49.41 per litre for ethanol from C-heavy molasses, Rs 60.73 per litre for B-heavy molasses, and Rs 65.61 per litre for ethanol from sugarcane juice, sugar, and sugar syrup, procured by OMCs.<\/p>\n With over 50 patents across various applications, Ramcharan is now commercialising different products.<\/p>\n The production of fuel-grade ethanol from CO2, achieved by this product, is a special engineering accomplishment that addresses carbon capture challenges and reduces India’s carbon footprint.<\/p>\n According to the company, setting up a 70,000-tonne-per-day plant would cost around Rs 50 crore.<\/p>\n “This technology and its application in the Indian industry will significantly contribute to India’s journey towards reducing its carbon emissions, one step at a time. Industries can use this technology to move towards carbon neutrality and eventually add value by converting carbon emissions into value-added products,” Palicha added.<\/p>\n At the time of funding, TFCC had cited Ramcharan’s unique waste management technology as the reason for the higher valuation.<\/p>\n Last year, the company also secured a $2.2 billion deal with Ghana-based Masri Company to supply waste-to-energy units, generating approximately 300 megawatt of power for Ghana.<\/p>\n Additionally, Ramcharan secured a $700 million deal with Kafkaz Finans in Baku, Azerbaijan, to supply waste management units.<\/p>\n