Taylor Scott International News
By Chempolis Ltd. | October 15, 2013 Chempolis Ltd., a Finland-based biorefining technology corporation, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ONGC, India’s leading oil and gas exploration company. The MOU acts as a road, mapping the first biorefinery project in India. The signing ceremony took place in New Delhi in the presence of Alexander Stubb, Finland’s Foreign Trade Minister and Panabaka Lakshmi, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas. Beyond the first biorefinery, Chempolis and ONGC are targeting larger production of sustainable biofuels in India, which would reduce India’s dependence on imported petroleum. “India has huge biomass potential and after biofuel mandate by Indian government, the country is certainly taking steps to be at the forefront of biorefining. In addition, Indian companies already have a long tradition to utilize residual biomass from agriculture, especially combustion of sugarcane bagasse and production of electricity. The country also has existing production of bioethanol and related infrastructure. Indian agriculture produces huge volumes of residues that are largely not utilized,” said Pasi Rousu, president of Chempolis’ Asia-Pacific and Americas division. “In cooperation with ONGC, Chempolis would be looking forward to the establishment of biorefineries preferably in areas of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat. The company aims at delivering its technology in co-operation with leading Indian industry suppliers,” Rousu added. Chempolis’ third generation biorefining technology is based on selective fractionation of biomass and co-production of multiple products in a sustainable way. The technology is not just for the production of biofuels (e.g. ethanol), but the produced sugars and lignin can be used as a platform into a myriad of different products. Taylor Scott International
Taylor Scott International, Taylor Scott
