Monthly Archives: October 2019

Praj’s Global Decarbonization Campaign for a Sustainable Future

By developing innovative and sustainable decarbonization solutions using circular bioeconomy, Praj is combatting the evils of climate change across the world. Praj is a name to reckon with not just in the home market of India but in South East Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. Praj has executed more than 240 projects in 45+ countries such as Peru, Guatemala, Guyana, Sierra Leone and developed countries like USA, UK, Germany, Belgium and Finland.

South East Asia

Praj entered the South east Asian market in 1992 and the first Bioethanol production plant of 1,20,000 litre per day was commissioned in 1994 at Lawang, Indonesia. Praj has supplied plants in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Cambodia, Vietnam etc.

The predominant feedstock for bioethanol in this region is cassava, sugarcane molasses and juice. Thailand implemented biofuels program successfully and phased out premium gasoline with gasohol. Philippines has mandated 10% ethanol blending, while Australia has a 2% mandate for blending. Japan imports ethanol for production of ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE – an oxygenate). Praj has also installed facilities in Vietnam for blending.

Africa

For the last two decades in Africa, Praj has been partnering with African companies in the sugar and ethanol sector by offering technology, engineering and turnkey solutions. As the awareness about ethanol, environmental concerns and the kind of profitability it can bring to the sugar mills grew across Africa, so did our experience and understanding of Africa as a continent. With 54 nations forming the African Union, one must understand the nuances of working in each region as a separate entity and that is exactly what Praj has done.

With significant work in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Turkey and Zimbabwe over last twenty years, Praj is committed to the development of African continent by way of its focus on process solutions for agri-processing, energy and environment.

Europe

Europe is at the forefront of fuel ethanol to mitigate climate change evils. It also offers opportunities for pharmaceutical grade of ethanol. With more than two decades, Praj has carved a space for itself in Europe.

UK’s largest fuel ethanol plant for Vivergo Fuels, with an ethanol production capacity of 1.2 mn liter per day deploys Praj technology. Recently, Praj also commissioned a vodka grade beverage alcohol plant in Poland with energy saving Ecosmart technology. Praj works with marquee customers within Europe and has references in UK, Poland, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, etc.

Americas

South America is the land of abundant natural resources like fertile soils, water and minerals. The agrarian continent has soil-climate conditions suitable for sugarcane cultivation. This has led to the development of downstream ethanol industry and other chemical and bioenergy plant.

One of the most efficient sugar producers of the world, Colombia is also an exemplar in successful implementation of ethanol blending program in the world. Colombia’s fuel ethanol program was launched in 2002 when the government passed a law mandating use of fuel ethanol in gasoline.

Praj is proud to fulfil 100% of Colombia’s fuel ethanol programme by installing ethanol production plant. These plants serve as a benchmark in the entire South American continent.
Production of first fuel ethanol plant began in October 2005 with an output of 300,000 liter per day in the Cauca Region. By March 2006, four more plants in the Cauca Valley were operational with a combined capacity of 1.05 million liter per day or 357 million liter per year.

Besides Colombia, Praj has references in Argentina, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico and many other South Central American countries. Praj serves clients in South and North America from its office in Houston, Texas.

Offerings and core competencies

Praj’s basket of offerings to the international market include-

  1. Feasibility studies
  2. Feed for projects investment and planning.
  3. Extended basic engineering
  4. EPC projects/ lumpsum turnkey projects.
  5. Multi-disciplinary detailed engineering
  6. Project management
  7. Procurement services
  8. Construction and construction management

The company has core competencies in areas such as pre feed projects/ feed projects, engineering and supply projects. Praj offers engineering, supply and construction supervision, and engineering, supply and construction of parts or sections with utilities. Praj also offers EPC/ LSTK (Lump Sum Turnkey) for ethanol, Brewing technology, brewery projects, EPC projects with front end packing and utilities.

Project and construction management

Praj’s exemplary project and construction management skills are key to the success of international and domestic projects. The company’s project management team has global experience of creating more than 700 references all over the world. Other facets of project management include-

  • PMP certified project managers.
  • 14,000 man years of experience
  • Capability of working in different geographies.
  • Modern project control and monitoring systems and processes.

The construction management team comprises civil, mechanical, electrical, construction, and structural engineers for multidisciplinary skills. The team boasts of strong safety management system, exposure to different geographies and innovative contracting strategies.

Facts at a glance: Praj’s international footprint

  • Overall offering-Concept to commissioning
  • 40% of revenue generated from exports
  • 114 fuel ethanol plants installed globally
  • Range of plant capacity — 10 to 1200 kLPD (kilo liters per day)
  • Total installed plant capacity of more than 37,000 kLPD
  • Range of services – Feasibility studies, feed for project investment and planning, extended basic engineering, EPC / lumpsum turnkey projects, multi-disciplinary detailed engineering, project management, procurement services, construction and construction management.

My Vision for India’s Industrial Water Sector

Over the years, we have seen an increasing number of areas in India becoming water stressed. This results in lesser water available for everyone, including for human consumption, for the agricultural as well as the industrial sector. Compounded by existing poor conditions of our farmers, water scarcity has been causing additional distress to the rural agrarian economy.

I believe that the industrial sector needs to play an important role and step up to conserve water responsibly. Doing this will contribute towards equitable distribution and usage of water across the country. There are a multitude of technologies available to industries ranging from pre treatment, to recycling and reusing water. Added to this are the zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technologies that are available today to ensure that the tail end of treated waste water does not pollute the surrounding land or ground water. This helps organisations meet statutory pollution control regulations and at the same time, act responsibly towards preserving the environment.

My agenda for prudent and responsible use of industrial wastewater is as follows:
1. Amount of fresh water consumed by industry needs to be brought down to minimal levels. This can be done by using water efficient technologies such as air-cooled heat exchangers (ACHE), other process improvements and by treating and recycling wastewater. Today, there are several examples of industries being provided with city/municipal sewage as the source for their water requirements and running almost completely without any fresh water input.

2. All new projects ought to be mandated to utilise limited water for process. Based on the final product volume produced, this can be mandated on globally implemented benchmarks and best practices. For e.g. Recently, Praj has helped a large chemical industry bring down their fresh water consumption by almost 70%. starting from the planning stage, it was done by integrating the customer’s wastewater treatment plant into their overall project.

3. Retrofit existing plants with equipment to recycle and reuse water.

4. Minimise damage to the environment and especially water bodies/ground water by implementing Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technologies.

5. Generate biogas from wastewater wherever possible. This achieves the dual goals of generating energy, while also purifying and treating water. Praj has commercialized technologies to achieve this.

6. Industries to recharge ground water through rain water harvesting.

Name: S Suresh Kumar

Designation: Executive VP & BU Head – Water & Waste water Solutions