All posts by Praj Hipurity

BioSpectrum Excellence Award 2023 for Most Promising Company for Engineering Solutions and Services

Blog

We are happy to share that Praj HiPurity Systems has been honoured with the prestigious Biospectrum Excellence Award 2023 for Most Promising Company for Engineering Solutions and Services in the Pharma, Biopharma, and Nutraceuticals Industry in their 13th edition under the special recognition Category.

The BioSpectrum India (MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications) is India's first comprehensive biotech business monthly magazine. It is an esteemed media platform which provides comprehensive coverage of the exciting happenings in the life sciences, which include BioPharma, BioAgriculture, BioInformatics, BioIndustrial, biosuppliers, and Bioservices, and showcases the emerging Indian entrepreneurship in the biotech industry.

Belief to Perfection! SME’s in pathogens disinfection in Pharmaceutical Water Plants!

Blog

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away"

There will be a general collective opinion that installation, commissioning & operations of Pharmaceutical Water plants are routine. However, once infected with pathogenic species, it turns out to be a nightmare for everybody associated with it. Top Quality, Maintenance, operations teams and even the Management personnel of Pharma companies start worrying about Pathogens in their water with far-reaching impact. This has turned out to be a perennial problem across all geographical locations. The part that leads to anxiety is that the timelines for 100 % disinfection cannot be established. It can vary from a few days to weeks. The pharmaceutical / bio-pharmaceutical / HCC industries industry has witnessed many products launched in the market deferred due to contamination in the Water Systems.

Realising this problem, a belief was created close to 1.5 decades ago to be THE CHAMPION in this segment. With the experience gained from Systems contaminated with the pathogen from multiple sources, we have incessantly worked towards championing this cause. With evolution over the years, we have set up a benchmark of more than 100 systems successfully disinfected. Many were age-old Systems and Systems supplied by our fellow competitors as well.

“Impossible – said many, not us !”. With more than 1000 Water Systems (both Generation and Storage & Distribution loop) installed & commissioned across the globe, the team at M/s. Praj HiPurity has gained an adequate amount of know-how to be graduated towards perfectionism. Whilst there are many suppliers worldwide focusing on the external beauty (aesthetics) of Water Systems, we have channelized our focus on the robustness, flawless design and most important, counteractive processes across the Water System scheme to avert the proliferation of bacteria/pathogens.

Team Praj HiPurity succeeded time and again and with that belief helped create its Perfectionists.

  1. One school of thought fraternity prevalent kept the focus on aspects of design, operations which were indeed the wrong targets like dosage of disinfectants, sampling points, etc.
  2. Many believed in the easier but costly solution of discarding membranes and replacing them with new ones. We chose to walk a different path and save millions for many clients.
  3. Many ended up celebrating early, forgetting the ability of these species to remain dormant and resurface in a few days. We didn’t!
  4. Many intimate parts of the system (often extensions of the system and not the core components) were culprits which we spotted but many others couldn’t and failed.
  5. & many more……

As we fondly tell all our industry friends - what matters is how we treat these species at the source. All learnings w.r.t pathogens disinfection have been captured & improvised in our new age Systems. We at Praj HiPurity Systems have learnt to imbibe some of these best practices in our day to work.

You can trust Team Praj Hipurity Systems to help you with the right counselling and skillsets for the disinfection of your water plants infected with pathogens!

Process Management

Blog

"Get the right people. Then no matter what all else you might do wrong after that, the people will save you. That’s what project management is all about."

The pharmaceutical industry is a highly innovation-driven industry that throughout its history has contributed to the well-being of humans by providing new medicines to address various diseases and has grown into one of the major sectors in the world.

However, in the past years, the industry has faced and continues to face several challenges in terms of delayed project timelines, deprived design of the system, increased R&D cost for new drug development, harmonization of all stakeholders from product conception to launch on design engineering front and rising customer expectation for new, cheaper and more effective therapeutic drugs in minimum time.

Project timelines have the potential to cripple the scope, cost, and quality of the project which in turn is due to the failure to understand the various aspects of the project life cycle with a Process lens instead of a Project Lens.

  • One Size fits all approach when every drug is different
  • Speed doesn’t mean half grilled R&D data be processed
  • Key process elements of Design Migration-Beaker to reactor
  • SME vs The Accidental Project Lead
  • Absence of Process catalyst

Many industrial entities are struggling to adapt & on-board changes from R&D to commercial scale. Driving a product to the market safely, quickly, and cheaply is the best way for a pharmaceutical firm to be successful. It’s time to transfer our traditional emphasis from Project management to Process management to drive the project efficiently from R&D to commercial scale on process requirements.

Understanding & mapping the diverse set of challenges compared to customary project management and the need to attend to them immediately, PHS decided to assemble a team of process experts to address the issues and fill the vacuum in the process management field with excessive continuity from Pre-order stage to Post-Order. We are advising our customers for critical products from conception to a product launch by changing our vision and focus from traditional project management to process management.

Our engagement from the R&D stage with the customer’s technology team & assisting both sides (Tech & Commercialization) is focused on synchronizing with process requirements at conception itself with the sole objective to eliminate future road-blocks.

The KEY hence is to develop a comprehensive portrait from product development to product launch to fast-track the access of medicine to the patient.

The Challenges of Industrial Fermentation

Blog

“A soul is but the last bubble of a long fermentation in the world” -George Santayana

Factors affecting the design of fermenter
The design and mode of operation of a fermenter mainly depends on the production organism, the optimal operating condition required for target product formation, product value and scale of production. The choice of microorganisms is diverse to be used in the fermentation studies.

The basic points of consideration while designing a fermenter:

  • Productivity and yield.
  • Fermenter operability and reliability.
  • Optimal Water requirements for processes.
  • Optimal Energy requirements.
  • Capital and operating costs
  • Potential for fermenter scale-up

Basic Fermentation Process Requirement Criterias:

  • Hydrodynamic characteristics of the Fermenter bioreactor
  • Mass and heat transfer characteristics of the Fermenter/bioreactor
  • Aseptic equipment design
  • Control of fermenter/ bioreactor environment (both macro and micro-environment)
  • Implications of bioreactor design on downstream products separation

Fermenter/ Bioreactor manufacturers need to be sensitive/ serious on these aspects. Lack of attention on these may lead to unhealthy process conditions leading to low quality &/or quantity of desire products.

We @ PHS have learnt to discuss, study & understand user process & design requirements in depth and include them at very early stage of Fermenter designing. The need to understand the process without infringing on the client’s IP is REAL and needs to be approached differently. Equally important is to focus on plant integration and handshake with third-party equipment like centrifuge, TFF’s, High Pressure Homogeniser etc.

Think Industrial Fermenters, Think PRAJ HIPURITY!!

Electropolishing of Stainless Steel

Blog

Topic Covered: Electropolishing (History, Know How, Effects & Application)

As we are part of the Pharma & Biotech Industry we often refer to electropolishing in our day to day discussions for equipment & components used in the systems used for handling, storage, transporting & distribution of critical products.

This Blog is aimed to provide the readership with insightful understanding of the electropolishing process, its fundamentals and its application.

History of Electropolishing

In 1912 when Imperial German Government issued a patent for finishing of silver in a cyanide solution, electropolishing process was invented.

Lots of efforts were put in the years to come but it was year 1936/37 when Dr, Charles Faust and his team discovered solutions for electropolishing Stainless and other metals.

So What is Electropolishing?

Electropolishing is the electrochemical process to remove the metallic material from the workpiece, in order to obtain a smoother metal surface; it basically streamlines the microscopic surface of a metal object. If defined in simple words its reverse of plating.

So why Electropolishing is done?

In addition to design and the choice of material, the quality of surface finish has a decisive effect on the function & performance of the component service life and effectiveness.

The treatment of metal surface therefore determines the suitability, performance and the operating cost.

What are the effects of Electropolishing on Metal?

Basically there are two types of Effects, Macroscopic & Microscopic.

Macroscopic Effect: As the electropolishing process starts, the concentration of electric field at edges and protrusions of the work piece locally creates higher current densities which increases the removal rates which is useful for removing the macroscopic burrs or in simple words we can say fine de-burring of the work piece.

Microscopic Effect: Post the Macroscopic Effects starts the Microscopic effect, In this a thin layer of polishing film is formed at the surface of the work piece , it removes the micro level roughness of the surface of the work piece creating a smooth and polished finish of the surface.

Applications:

Today electropolishing is successfully applied to an expandable range of new applications. Major benefits of electropolishing is successfully continued to be demonstrated in Reactor vessels, Process Equipment, Bioreactors, Heat Exchangers, Storage Tanks, Piping and Tubing, F & B Processing Equipment, etc.

Spend your money wisely!

Uncategorized

Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. -Ayn Rand

While making a high value purchase either in personal life or during the life cycle of a project in professional life, we always come across a situation where we need to strike a balance between the extra money we spend for buying an equipment versus the anticipated/estimated savings in life cycle cost of the equipment during the operation or utilization of the equipment.

Most of the time the dilemma is whether to spend now and save later or save now and spend later. One of the ways to be able to reconcile with this dilemma is to systematically look at various perspectives.

A. Evaluate Life Cycle cost

We calculate the life cycle cost of the Component comprising of the 3 C’s – CC+OC+RC

  • Capital Cost (CC) of buying the equipment
  • Operating cost (OC) for running the equipment including consumables/Manpower/utilities
  • Replacement cost (RC) for the maintenance of the equipment (End of Life replacements)

B. Full Time Utilization (FTU)

Let’s understand the importance of FTU. Most of the times while calculating the operating cost, we estimate the plant or the component to run at 100% capacity from day one of the operation, whereas the actual scenarios may be quite different. Typically in a Green Field or Brown Field project, the 100% capacity of the plant in usually achieved after atleast couple of years of operation and till such time the plant is operating usually at lower capacity. In such scenarios, typically the payback period or the breakeven point in the project or component life cycle (i.e. where the Capex + Opex starts actual savings for the project) is generally stretched beyond estimated time.

Hence it is important that while comparing the CAPEX & OPEX of 2 choices the following are thought through -

1) Capex Cost:

Including -

  • Cost of Equipment
  • Finance or interest cost on additional spend
  • Any additional components required to fulfill the requirements while using alternate option

2. Opex Cost:

Including -

  • Operating cost of producing the intended end product (i.e. Utilities/cleaning or operating chemicals/Consumables/Manpower/Cost of Treatment of Effluents or Byproducts/Etc.)
  • Replacement cost for End of Life components. These costs are most times directly dependent on the life of the components and not the output or the hours of operation of the plant (FTU perspective).

While calculating the Opex of the plant we need to understand the project Life cycle and estimate in what time frame shall the plant start working to full capacity. Till such time is established or estimated the Opex has to be calculated on pro rata basis on actual running hours of the plant which typically is 3-4 hours a day till the production demand arises and typically the time frame for such period will average anything between 18 months to 36 months depending on the end product produced, regulatory reviews, process readiness, etc.

In a rather Ideal situation the payback or the breakeven period for Capex + Opex spend while comparing 2 competitive products or Technologies, if is less than 5-6 years - one can say the money is wisely spent. After all it is YOU as the driver that will have to bring a calculative approach to strike the right balance of CAPEX & OPEX spend!

The Boiling Frog Syndrome in your Pharmaceutical Stainless Steel Hot Systems?

Blog

Rouge is the type of corrosion that occurs in Stainless Steel, especially in Stainless Steel hot systems is akin to Cancer in human beings or can be related to the ‘Boiling frog syndrome. On most occasions, it is ignored with serious ramifications. Periodic check-ups facilitate early & level of severity detection. Ignore it and the rouge worsens leading to many challenges damaging the surface finish, severe corrosion eventually has the potential to affect the product quality in Pharmaceutical Stainless Steel Hot Systems.

These days when leading pharmaceutical companies are spending millions to build a manufacturing facility which does not add any contamination to the drug, the danger of rouge and its effect on the contamination of medicines are most times overlooked. There are many examples wherein companies had to scrap part or full systems handling WFI, Pure Steam, etc. due to severe rouge. The reasons for discard were either visual inappropriateness or its effect on the product in contact. The innocuous thin black or red slimy or powdery deposit gradually worsens and spreads like cancer from high-temperature zones to low-temperature zones as well. Essentially, "rouge" is composed of corrosion products of hydrogen and iron oxides in different states of oxidation. The colour range is varied due to the various oxides of ferric ion and the corrosion products of hydrogen. The exact explanation for the rouging phenomenon is not yet clearly understood, but it is possibly the outcome of momentary destabilization within the passive surface.

See the visuals shown –

There are means to avoid or delay rouging altogether –

  • Right selection of SS
  • Electropolishing (and hence suppressing the Iron exposure)
  • Avoid any iron source that can contaminate Stainless Steel

And then there is Praj Hipurity which can help you eliminate or reduce the incidence of Rouging post facto. Praj HiPurity system Ltd. has helped many organisations treat their rouging problems whether it is Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3. Depending on the type of equipment or systems, different processes like chemical derouging or electropolishing can be employed.

Avoid the ‘Boiling Frog Syndrome’ and contact info@Prajhipurity.net for your derouging needs.

From Speed to Timing! Way forward in Parenteral Facilities design.

Blog

“Speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction” -Mahatma Gandhi

For parenteral products, sterility is a key product attribute for product safety. The key words in Advances and challenges in Sterile Formulation, Manufacturing and Regulatory aspects show –

  • Drug Safety
  • Endotoxins
  • Process Controls
  • Safe Use
  • Sterilization

A key word we forget here is RFT (Right First Time) facility design EARLY in the project, capable of delivering all of the above. As we fondly tell all our industry friends in Sterile Pharma - Sterility starts from the outlet of WFI system and has to be sustained till the drug is dispensed in a filling machine. The WFI produced in WFI generator –

Unless - not stored and distributed well,

Unless – not dispensed in sterile & efficient manner to the Process skids,

Unless – not formulated in process skids appropriately,

Unless – not seamlessly transferred to filling machines

Most projects of the past assumed great speed while ordering Water systems, Process Skids, Filling Machines, TCU’s etc. The key elements of design which are important and often overlooked are the integration/ handshake between each of these systems. Many times they come as an afterthought or incorporated in design much later with initial assumptions that these integration can be managed at later stages of projects. The advantage of speed & momentum achieved earlier quickly is lost out either during detailed engineering & post ordering of these equipment OR worse after the equipment have arrived at site. The last mile connect as they say, usually takes the longest to cover and invariably becomes the show stopper!

Solution – Shifting focus from Speed to Timing

The integration of Clean utilities with Process Skids have to be anticipated and built in design before orders are released (for Water systems, Process Skids, Filling Machines, TCU’s etc.) with clear mechanical, process, software & validation boundaries as well as handshakes well defined. Many Ampoule, Vial, PFS filling machines are difficult to re-design integrate post-supply. This way of pre-empting the integration challenges and incorporating early in design may take time, the ordering may take time; however saves precious amount of time and cost at CQV stages of the project. We at Praj Hipurity are trying to ingrain this in our way of life based on our various experiences with different clients, suppliers, etc.

Lastly, the need of speed is somewhere else. Nothing is as fast as TRUST.

You can trust Team Praj Hipurity to help you with the right integration & handshake designs early in the Project phase either Pre-order or Post-order engineering.

Strategic & coherent approach to process engineering…!!

Blog

Entering a Super market without first considering what you want to buy can prove costly, as people tend to buy more than they need. Similarly when discussing the purchase of customised equipment, lack of specific knowledge and a systematic approach may lead to over spending.

I'll touch on a few aspects that need to be thoroughly discussed and the pros and cons weighed before making a decision.

Closed vs Open design: The pharmaceutical industry seeks to move to fully integrated closed processing in continuous mode of operation. The goal is to remove aseptic manipulation that can cause cross- contamination, boost process efficiency, and ultimately, improve patient safety. The open design with aseptic connectors, on the other hand, gives the same level of assurance while also providing better flexibility, reduced capital expenditure, operator friendliness, etc.

Multiport valves selection: Cleanliness and drainability are two of the most important aspects of equipment design. As a result, it must be considered when designing, along with keeping dead legs to a minimum. Multiport valves provide greater flexibility, compact design and reduce dead legs. It can be used in critical areas where there is a higher risk of contamination that could compromise the product profile, such as transfer-in and transfer-out product lines when more than two valves are required. This is to ensure that rigid pipe has the least amount of dead leg as possible and other less critical locations can be achieved by installing 2 way / T-pattern valves with the appropriate slope and angle.

Optimum utility sizing: CIP and SIP are the two most important sequences in terms of water, steam, and energy consumption. Unfortunately, in most cases, it is overlooked, resulting in oversized / undersized utilities. Establishing the capacity need for clean utilities require knowledge of prospective utility usage, analysis to establish which equipment is likely to need utility at the same time and do calculation accordingly. Estimating the utility requirements for standalone equipment is generally easier, but simultaneous judgement is not!!

As long as a logical and systematic method is followed, the operator will have a sufficient utility system to ensure smooth and reliable operation.

Lastly, you can trust Team Praj Hipurity to assist you in making the best choices and designs for each of the aforementioned aspects while adhering to global quality and safety standards.

Riboflavin/Wetting Trial for PW/WFI Tanks – Meeting Protocol Expectations Vs Practicality

Blog

Typically almost every alternate interaction with our client friends on clean utilities tankages (Purified Water / Water for Injection) design, usually touches upon spray ball coverage test. Users want to have the spray ball coverage test also called as Riboflavin Test or Wetting Trial mainly because

  • User’s knowledge of CIP for process vessels spilling over to PW /WFI Tank designs
  • Either because it is a query raised by auditors’ in past or

So do PW /WFI Tank really need to undergo Riboflavin / Wetting Trail for clean-ability?

  • PW /WFI Tanks never see product change in their lifetime unlike process vessels
  • PW/WFI tanks don’t see anything but highly purified water with very low conductivity
  • Some PW/WFI Tanks are also designed to undergo SIP at 121 0 C by Pure Steam
  • WFI Tanks are on most occasions maintained at >80 0 C which makes it self-sanitizing
  • Majority of PW Tanks are hot water sanitized at >80 0C on a monthly to quarterly basis

So one can say – PW/WFI tanks are never seeing product change, higher contamination/ impurities and are sanitized intermittently. Do we still need the tanks tested for spray ball coverage test?

Question Remains - Inspite of above points, one can still argue that the top dish still needs wetting to avoid dry patches.

In order to make the tank compliant with wettability/Riboflavin – from design standpoint following process is followed –

In order to meet the minimum flow rate and pressure requirements following challenges are faced –

  • Return Line Flow of PW/WFI loop – the return line flow of PW/WFI is generally set at minimum return line velocity making the return line flow fixed.
    The Challenge: Irrespective of tank size chosen, return line flow always remains pegged at velocity equivalent. The no of spray balls may vary depending on the Tank size.
  • Return Line Pressure : Back Pressure Regulating Valve (most commonly used in the return line) in effect reduces the pressure at spray ball to < 1 bar more often.
    Challenge: Typical spray balls operate in the range upwards of 2 bar.

Though having tank design compliant with wettability /Riboflavin test is desirable, practically during normal operation of PW/WFI loop, the return line flow rate + return line pressure puts limitations on effectiveness of spray ball.

So should the Riboflavin/Wettability Test Requirement be eliminated for PW/WFI Tanks?

Get in touch with Praj Hipurity for the rightful answer!

Micro-organisms in Macro-reactors! Fermentors for all applications

Blog

“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back towards the technology – not the other way around.” – Steve Jobs

Fermentation is a complex and iterative process with many interdependent parts. One is concerned with not just an organism and its genetics, but also how the physiology of that organism interacts with the fermentation process one is developing. Beyond the biological challenges of developing a process, one has to consider the financial constraints of making a process and company profitable by accessing fermentor capacity, increasing titre, decreasing costs and controlling scale-up risks. This also involves risk analysis with respect to:

  • Market
  • Product
  • Processes
  • Technology

Based on these four factors, scale of fermentors varies widely from 10 L to 3,50,000 L spreading across various applications like Biosimilars, Biotherapeutics, Vaccines, Enzymes, Nutraceuticals, API & Antibiotics. Interestingly, features for all fermentors remain same:

A key word we forget here is RFT (Right First Time) facility design EARLY in the project, capable of delivering all of the above. We are learning to tell all our industry friends in Biopharma – Independent of your product & scale, the key features are NOT negotiable, as your market comprises of living beings. All volumes of fermentor have different set of challenges in their design, construction, testing and validation. Few well-known challenges are:

  • Space constraint in plant: At times high capacity fermentors are built and tested at site.
  • Jacket coverage, jacket type & cooling coil for temperature control
  • Uniform heat transfer for assured sterilization
  • Adequate mass transfer for yield
  • Containment : end-to-end
  • Cleaning validation
  • Recipe-based automatic operation
  • Event log & data security

In addition to this, fermentation experts feel comfortable, if they are able to automate the ‘Pre’ & ‘Post’ of fermentation seamlessly. This includes integrating distribution of CIP, WFI, Purified water, Clean Steam & media before fermentation and integrating to harvest tank, microfiltration & centrifuge after fermentation.

Solution – Shifting from Product to Market & using the Right scale of fermentor

As your market comprises of patients, so complying with product quality and regulatory standards are of paramount importance. Your product is an outcome of process that is developed. This process can be built, tested & validated using technology from Praj HiPurity.  Based on your product and scale, Praj HiPurity can offer fermentors from 10 L to 3,50,000 L.

Integration of utilities, upstream & downstream equipments with fermentors have to be anticipated and built in design before orders are released , with clear mechanical, process, software & validation boundaries, as well as handshakes well defined. This way of pre-empting the needs and then incorporating them early in design, helps to achieve:

  • Safety
  • Seam-less operation
  • Sterility & Containment
  • Consistent yield
  • Data Integrity
  • Validation

We at Praj HiPurity have tried to ingrain this in our way of life, based on our varied experiences with clients, suppliers and consultants.

Nothing is as fast as TRUST. You can trust Team Praj HiPurity to assist you with right solution early in design phase either Pre-order or Post-order engineering.

The V-FACT Lens for sustainable & effective CIP Solutions

Blog

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” –Albert Einstein

High quality drug manufacturing essentially requires effective CIP (Cleaning In Place) and its validation of manufacturing equipment product contact parts. Reliable, Repeatable and most importantly a Cost effective CIP cycle at the end of each production batch is a challenge.

Cost of generating clean utility and treating CIP effluent is a major area of concern for all manufacturing facilities during operation. Because CIP is one of the major areas for clean utility consumption, it calls for an innovative and customized strategy with a predefined recipe to ensure repeatability. There is a general trend in the industry to go ahead with CIP solution preparation considering 1/3rd volume of the subjected equipment (tank) and associated transfer piping during design conceiving stage, same is then continued during CIP validation and continued during plant operations. This generalization keeping the science at bay has high impact on opex and environment!!!

Solution:- Have a granular look at factors defining CIP using the V– FACT Lens 

Volume– Volume of clean utility and chemical required in each cleaning step considering grouping of subjected equipment and piping circuit.

Flow- Flow to ensure turbulence and impact. Selection of appropriate spray device and    pumping system.

Action – Action time of each cleaning step like pre-rinse, wash time and final rinse time. Dirty hold time before starting action is a critical parameter.

Concentration– Concentrations of chemicals considering product specific properties and human/equipment safety.

Temperature– CIP solution temperature considering impact on solubility.

An innovative look on ”V” is critical while defining CIP philosophy which has to be customized for each application differently. Options which can be explored includes

  • Tank less Mobile CIP Skid’s
  • Hybrid Central+Local CIP skid
  • Centralized CIP skid
  • Central CIP skid with multi tank options

ROI on a CIP system lies in RFT (Right First Time) of ”V” selection. Think about what the best CIP system design is for your process goals and where the system will be located. It is important to define a unique CIP philosophy for each manufacturing line at the beginning of the project.

We at PHS help solve this puzzle using this V– FACT lens for various product applications.

pramod-chaudhari-is-first-indian-recipient-of-2020-george-washington-carver-award

Dr. Pramod Chaudhari honoured with 2020 George Washington Carver Award; First Indian recipient in its history.

Blog

History created as Dr. Pramod Chaudhari becomes first Indian to be honoured with 2020 George Washington Carver Award for Innovation in Industrial Biotechnology and Agriculture by Washington DC-based Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and IowaBio. The award was presented during the BIO IMPACT Digital Ag & Environment Conference held online on September 22, 2020.

The recognition is testament to Dr. Chaudhari’s exemplary leadership, pioneering endeavours, and his relentless pursuit in building a sustainable ecosystem for the advancement of a bio-based economy.

Named after celebrated agricultural scientist, inventor and environmentalist, George Washington Carver, the award instituted in 2008 recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the biotechnology sector worldwide.

HWS-ecosystem-compressor

Praj Technology know how and Design Engineering Package for Production of Sanitizer to combat Covid-19

Blog

Open access to Praj’s sanitizer technology, now with plant solution.

The use of high quality hand wash sanitizer (HWS) is an effective measure to control the spread of deadly Corona virus, and has led to its exponential demand globally. Following the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization, the formulation in HWS must have at least 80% alcohol which will neutralize the virus and prevent its spread. Praj understands the seriousness of the fight against the virus and has offered free and open access to HWS technology solution in line with WHO guidelines. Praj’s know-how and engineering package is available here https://praj.net/praj-sanitizer-technology/.

Praj is also offering manufacturing support through Praj HiPurity Systems (PHS), its wholly-owned subsidiary which is a leading supplier for turnkey solutions in cosmetics and personal care, topical and oral formulations, and sterile formulations. PHS has been serving the biopharma industry across the world for the past three decades. PHS is geared to manufacture and supply a modularized solution to manufacture HWS on a fast-track basis.

Since there have been multiple requests from potential HWS manufacturers, Praj & PHS have jointly designed a HWS manufacturing skid, including technical assistance if required.

This site offers the following information –

  • Sources of raw material – access to distilleries willing to supply bulk ENA
  • Sources of packaging – a repository of suppliers of packing & bottling machines.
  • Trading companies / bulk manufacturers with access to POC’s (Point of consumption)

HWS Ecosystem

HWS-ecosystem-compressor

Pivots for Sanitizer Corner

Praj’s sanitizer technology offering comprises four pivots which are technology and raw material that lead to a plant solution and subsequently to the production of HWS.

How Indian Distilleries are Pouring Help to Lend a Fight Against COVID-19

Blog

The government, businesses and individuals around the world have been tackling unprecedented challenges post the COVID -19 outbreak. The unanticipated upsurge of this pandemic has had a sudden impact on our daily lives, forcing us to mend our ways overnight. As individuals, we have been confined to our homes and working remotely since the global lockdowns have been implemented – again a never before phenomenon. Businesses – the harbingers of economy – have been struggling to make sense of their service amid the sudden switch of demands. In order to ensure business continuity while also contributing to the nation and its employees in a noble way, distilleries are tweaking their ethanol production process to produce disinfectant alcohols and are also providing the facility to produce healthcare equipment. In this article, we try to present how distilleries in India (and also worldwide) are joining hands with government to overcome this pandemic.

Government Loosens the Reins to Speed Up Production of Hand Sanitizers

Apart from maintaining social distancing and covering your face, one of the most important guidelines that was published by the WHO, even as the disease was gaining prominence, was to keep the hands clean by washing them (more than) often using soap & water and/or using an alcohol based hand rub. Following this guideline, many people flocked to the nearby chemists to ‘panic-shop’ as many sanitizers as they could. This sudden demand of sanitizers led to an exhausted supply, following which, the government issued permissions to distillers and sugar mills to prioritize supply of Ethyl Alcohol, ENA (extra neutral alcohol) and ethanol, (all by-products of sugar manufacturing) used in making liquor or as fuel additive, to supply the sanitiser industry. The license approval process for manufacturing sanitizer has also been mellowed down and simplified. The prices of alcohol used in manufacturing hand sanitizers will not exceed the rates prevailing on March 5, 2020 [1].

Distillers join hand with the government to ‘sober up’ the situation

Apart from India, many of the affected countries instantly stopped manufacturing liquor and instead diverted to lend a helping hand in sanitizer production. A good part of the ethanol industry is already working in three shifts to cater to the demand. Contributing to the social cause, the Indian Sugar Mills Association and the All India Distilleries association have assured that ethyl alcohol, Extra Neutral Alcohol and ethanol will be made available to the manufacturers at a reasonable rate only. Setting an example, Indian Whiskey maker John Distilleries has started producing sanitizers at its distilleries which will be donated to healthcare institutions [2]. Another popular Liquor brand ‘Bacardi’ said it would produce 70,000 liters of hand sanitizers, which will be distributed primarily to district government hospitals, to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus pandemic [3]. In yet another way, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), that sells Budweiser and Haywards beers, is collaborating with state governments to equip 15 lakh frontline workers with masks and hand sanitizers to make for the short supply of essential protective equipment in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak [4].

Praj Joins the Aid-Wagon

Praj Industries – one of the pioneers of promoting industrial production of ethanol in India – has devised a technology to formulate alcohol into high quality sanitizers as approved by the W.H.O. at their state-of-art research center. This technology can be used to produce sanitizers with above 80% alcohol content (as prescribed by WHO). This is unlike those which do not conform to the standards, may not protect you against the virus and even make your hands dry. Praj is well positioned to boost the production of sanitizers leveraging their 750+ customer references worldwide and facilitate the process.  Considering the market crunch of authentic sanitizers and honoring the appeal of the ‘Ministry of health & defense, India”, Praj has opened access to the blueprint of sanitizer manufacturing process for standardized plant capacity of 2KLPD (20,000 bottles of 100 ml. each) and 5KLPD (50,000 bottles of 100 ml each) and has made it public on the company website. Praj has also pledged to provide remote engineering and commissioning assistance to produce sanitizers. It is also geared up to manufacture and supply specialized reactors required for production of sanitizers on a fast-track basis.

Reference:

The Future of Bio-Based Solutions and EPC Requirements in India

Blog

A massive increase in energy consumption throughout the world has led to a rise in demand for fuels and energy sources. Conventional energy sources such as fossil fuels are limited and on the verge of getting exhausted. Renewable fuels and technologies, hence, are sustainable solutions. More sustainable fuels that reduce emissions and social impacts such as compressed natural gas, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and electricity are required to meet today’s energy needs of India.

The global market trends are positively shifting towards cleaner fuels. This is evident especially in the international markets where they are now making modifications for larger integration of biofuels produced using ethanol from molasses. There has been a surge in the demand for 1G ethanol in international markets such as Latin America, South-East Asia and parts of Europe. Crude oil prices are soaring owing to an expected trade deal between the US and China along with growing geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran. The price increase has been around 18% for the October-December quarter. Since India is heavily dependent on imported oil, any flare-up in prices can have a serious impact on our economy. Praj – one of the leading pioneers of Ethanol plant manufacturers in India, has been an active participant and contributor in meeting the international & national demands of clean fuel in the chemical and ONGC sector and executing activities related to Engineering, Procurement, and Construction.

A Window for Several Greenfield and Brownfield Projects

These adversities have turned into opportunities for Major Oil Companies such as Exxon Mobil and Shell, as they increase their investment in oil exploration and refineries in newer oil fields, thereby creating new opportunities in greenfield projects. Old refineries, using legacy systems, are looking to expand their facilities by allowing brownfield projects seeking renovation and up-gradation of existing facilities. This also provides a great opportunity for process equipment industries to implement advanced technologies in terms of remote monitoring for performance, data analytics for optimizing product mix and quality. There is also a growing preference for skid systems and complex materials. Praj’s global certification makes it eligible for participating in various company biddings requiring bioethanol production on a global scale.

Chemical Industry and Bio-Technology

The Indian chemical industry has seen a gradual improvement in the past few years. Currently, China and India drive the growth of the chemical industry because of the availability of raw materials at a competitive price. The strong government support for research & development and an evolved ecosystem that fully supports the industry and innovation are the main contributors to growth. Other industries poised for growth are Agro Chemicals, Specialty Chemicals, Colorant Chemicals, and Renewable chemicals.

Working towards Sustainable Decarbonization

At a time when carbon emissions are attracting global attention, it has become necessary to reduce carbon footprints. This can be made possible only with the use of renewable fuels, including ethanol in petrol, use of CBG instead of CNG, use of alternative energy sources like solar panels, electric vehicles, etc. Additionally, the use of renewable chemicals instead of traditional chemicals made from fossil fuel should be implemented.

The role of 2G Ethanol in reducing Fossil Fuel dependency

2G biofuels make it possible to blend up to 20 percent without changes in the engine. This means, saving 7000 million liters worth of fossil fuel by replacing them with cellulosic ethanol. This would also result in a saving of around $4920 to $5075 million dollars. Compare this to the existing capacity of 2G which has a blending rate of 5 to 7 percent and limited availability of feedstock. Praj is actively working towards expanding the manufacturing of its second generation ethanol production plants, one for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) plant at Bargarh, Orissa and second for Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) at Panipat.

Wastewater Treatment – Converting Adversity into Opportunity

Blog

India’s agricultural population is highly dependent on the monsoons. Climate change has altered the patterns of weather, adversely impacting rainfall, the crops, the farmers and consequently, us. While farmers are suffering from drought or excessive rainfall, cities are struggling with their own woes of untreated sewage flowing through open nullahs with the occasional floods only aggravating the condition. This is an ironic situation where we have abundant water around us but only a fraction of it may be fit for consumption.

Most of the rural Indians are inter-migrating to the cities in search of employment and sustenance. It is estimated that around 7 billion people will live in cities by 2050. This growing trend is bound to build pressure on limited and critical resources such as water, among several others. Currently, we are able to meet the demands of most of the cities by transporting water from hundreds of kilometers afar. But this method is both inefficient and energy-intensive. A local level solution is thus required for sustainable water management. Practices such as wastewater treatment would be of immense significance in achieving water security.

A source for industries to generate wealth from waste

Vital water resources, the lifelines of civilization, are being contaminated and depleted at an alarming rate due to partial or untreated Industrial and Domestic wastewater flowing into them. This puts industries in a critical, albeit eventually profitable, position to follow a Minimum Liquid Discharge (MLD) or Zero Liquid Discharge System (ZLD) where resources can be, to a certain extent, recovered from the wastewater. The recovery of resources not only leads to water conservation but also acts as an additional income source. A mindset change from “use and throw” to a “use, treat, and reuse” is needed to manage wastewater.

How is Praj technology already bringing about a change

Praj ZLD wastewater treatment plant is designed to recover resources such as crystallized salts that are more than 99% pure. These recovered salts are an important source of revenue for some clients, in addition to the savings gathered by avoiding the high cost of salt disposal. Such concepts are strong enough to drive a change in current societal systems, thinking ahead from residues treatment, such as wastewater treatment, toward resource recovery.

Praj’s industrial water treatment systems offer an economical and versatile way for industries to extract valuable products from wastewater, which is a prerequisite for the technological development of a bio-based economy. It is one of the leading Total Water Solutions Providers(TWSP), providing C2C (Concept to Commissioning) solutions for Industrial Wastewater Recycle plants and Aerobic Treatment Plants. Praj has installed more than 750 Evaporators and ultrafiltration equipment all over the globe and has been the most preferred (TWSP) by many highly reputed and large Industrial firms.

A case study by Praj

A leading Indian Chemical Manufacturing company approached Praj in 2012 to provide them with a Techno-Commercially viable solution to handle highly contaminated wastewater, made up of predominantly complex chemicals. Though small in volume, the contamination level in the wastewater was extremely high. The High TDS and High COD stream  was directly treated through TVR based 249 KLD Multiple Effect Evaporator (MEE) after pre-treatment to remove sticky floating matter. A 3-stage Forced Circulation TVR based  MEE was installed which was later expanded with provision of an additional stage. The process condensate from the MEE was combined along with other streams and treated through conventional biological process using 2 stage Activated Sludge Process (ASP) followed by Tertiary filtration. The final treated water met the client’s treatment goals.

Embracing A Bio-Economy- The Way Forward for India!

Blog

Our dependence on fossil fuels is creating a world-wide turmoil in regards to the sustainability of the human race. Fossils are the primary source of bi-products, energy and resources, and this is having a detrimental effect on our planet. As a result, we are witnessing major geo-political issues and energy security concerns due to the scarcity of our finite resources. India is a leading consumer of fossil fuels due to its population size. We as humans need to acknowledge the worry-some issue that our way of life revolves primarily around the exploitation of fossil fuels. We need to strongly adopt the idea of relying on an alternate source for our resources and energy. This is the need of the hour and this is the way forward for the Indian economy.

Bioenergy- The worthy successor to our fossil fuels

Bioenergy has proven to be one of the most sustainable and feasible ways of producing energy and bi-products for use. It is truly worthy of being our primary source of energy in today’s time. Bioenergy production involves the conversion of natural biomass or biological resources into useful resources like energy, food etc., by the means of biotechnology in a Bioenergy plant. Biotechnology entails the use of living organisms and organic material available in abundance in our environment. Over the years, biotech has progressed by leaps and bounds, giving us a perfectly reliable and sustainable method to implement bioenergy as the alternative.

Bio-refineries- How will it help?

The bio-refinery concept is an intelligent and promising solution that integrates different biomass conversion processes and technologies. The bio-refinery approach is based on a holistic utilisation of biomass for producing value-added products. For ex. Bioethanol Plant. Thus, bio-refineries aim for zero-waste biomass utilisation by applying efficient technologies to convert biomass into energy and products.

Speaking of products, biotech can enable the production of a plethora of bio-products. To understand its feasibility and scale, let’s see what kind of products and raw materials we will be dealing with.

Raw materials typically used for bio-products

  1. Sugary; molasses and beet
  2. Starchy- potato, cassava
  3. Biomass- Agricultural waste such as bagasse, rice stalk etc.
  4. Microbial- such as algae
  5. Wood (forestry materials)

This shows how easy it will be to procure raw materials for the processes. But to become a truly diverse bio-economy, bio-products should not be restricted to one industrial sector. And that’s the best part about the use of biomass… there are numerous resources that can be produced for a broad spectrum of applications and markets.

Here are some examples of bio-products as per their industry applications

  1. Bio-lubricants – Automotive Industry
  2. Bio-polymers- Packaging Industry
  3. DDGS production (by-product of Bioethanol production)- Liquor Industry
  4. Bio-composites- Manufacturing Industry
  5. Wood & Construction Material- Furniture Industry

This clearly depicts the potential of bio-based products to cater to a diverse range of industries and be a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Transforming India into a Bio-economy

The use of multiple feedstock to produce a diverse range of bio-products has created a golden opportunity to revive the Indian economy, as India stands as one of the leading producers of biomass energy.  Around 18 GW of energy produced in India comes from biomass. This is an opportunity to reconcile with our environment and secure a sustainable and profitable future for the Indian economy. A simple change in the mind-set will foster an evergreen future across all industries and domains. To implement this effectively, it needs to be done at a fundamental level. People to need to naturally absorb the idea of embracing a Bio-economy. It needs to become an integral part of the Indian Society. So, ushering a bio-economy in India means working closely with India’s existing environmental protection initiatives and developmental programs launched by the Government.

Here are some of the flagship programs that are currently running;

  1. Make in India
  2. Swachh Bharat
  3. Doubling farmer’s income
  4. Energy security and self-reliance- reduce the import bill

Along with the programs, the idea of Bio-economy needs to have a deep-rooted foundation in the political environment as well. The idea needs to flourish at the policy-making level. That means taking extra measures to help the development and advancement of biotech in India.

Here are some steps that can be taken to aid the development of biotech in India

  1. Forming policies for biofuel- Expediting project realization for 2G, CBC and Biodiesel
  2. Supporting rural development- Creating job opportunities, alternate revenue streams from farming.
  3. Presenting innovative ideas or solutions to bring bio-products in the market.
  4. Working towards building more affordable technologies for mass adoption.

Bio-industry is all set to boom in the coming years. The question is, will we acknowledge its upside and help the Indian economy grow before it’s too late? The solution to our environmental crisis is right in front of us, and corporations have a huge opportunity to make name for themselves in the Bio era.

Praj industries is a major manufacturer of Bio-products in India with over 30 years of industry expertise.

From pioneering Bioethanol production technology to mastering Zero Liquid Discharge systems, Praj industries offer a plethora of high-tech engineering solutions. Apart from Bio-products, they offer a wide range of industrial wastewater treatment solutions like scrubbing, evaporation and crystallization, that are highly customized and match international standards of quality and output.

Visit the website www.praj.net to learn more.

Praj’s Global Decarbonization Campaign for a Sustainable Future

Blog

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.

Using 2G Ethanol to Help Mitigate Environmental Hazards

Blog

A thick layer of smog shrouds Delhi as the capital lays enveloped in noxious mist with pollution levels now lurking under the severe plus or emergency category. According to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), the share of stubble-burning accounted for 20% to 25% of Delhi’s pollution in recent times. [1] The government also expressed its inability to control the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana to bring pollution under control. This, in spite of the Rs 100 per quintal incentive in return for the stubble.  Air pollution of this scale can aggravate heart and lung disease and also pose a serious risk to the respiratory systems of the residents. So how can 2G bioethanol production make a difference in the scenario? Let’s find out

The Role of 2nd Generation Ethanol Production Technology

Praj Industries – India’s leading Ethanol plant manufacturers and providers of 2nd gen bio-based solutions, have been developing several state-of-art technologies to convert agricultural waste into valuable products in the form of biofuels and biochemicals. It is already the major technology provider of 2G ethanol for Indian oil companies like IOC, BPCL, HPCL and MRPL. Praj’s 2nd Generation “Bio” Ethanol technology is one that efficiently converts agricultural waste into fuel-grade ethanol. Besides ethanol, Agri waste can also be used as a raw material or feedstock to produce not only ethanol but also compressed bio-gas (CBG). As such, the growth of Ethanol Industry can prove beneficial for the farmer as well as the environment by acting as a solution to the age-old problem of disposal of Agri residue, thus solving the ‘burning’ issue to a great extent.

The Socio-Economical Impact of 2G Ethanol Production

  • Second generation ethanol production technology will support 10% blending of ethanol with petrol which would result in a reduction of India’s oil import bill.
  • It will reduce smog formation in future and ensure clean air for our citizens.
  • Farmers will benefit from converting their agri-waste into feedstock for Industrial production of ethanol
  • Increased layers in the waste management process will give rise to multiple opportunities in rural areas
  • Most importantly, using 2nd generation ethanol-blended petrol will reduce GHG emission and eventually will bring down smog levels.

Challenges in Mass Commercialization of 2G

We require a robust ecosystem for a smooth functioning supply chain management of feedstock. There are still hurdles at various levels of statutory clearances and permissions such as environmental and land acquisition, which make setting up a bio-ethanol plant, a time-consuming process. Funding is again a challenge. There is still a need for mechanization of farming in India to facilitate quick and easy collection of the leftover straw after harvesting grain.

Ways to Overcome Challenges

Farmers need to be educated about wrapping straw in bales or man-made bundles for biofuel production. Using modern farm equipment, these straws can not only be extracted from the harvest but also be shaped into round or square bales to facilitate storage and transport. Financial assistance needs to be made available to co-operative societies of farmers, farmer producer organizations, registered farmer societies, rural entrepreneurs, women farmers and self-help groups. The State Govt needs to fix the minimum support price (MSP) of the straw and assure farmers of a long-term buy-back agreement for straw collected.

 

My Vision for India’s Industrial Water Sector

Blog

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

The Role of Bio-Fuels in Promoting Circular Bio-Economy in India

Blog

Climate change is real and happening now, even as we speak! While the summer of 2019 dried out the throats of Chennai, parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Kolhapur, and Sangli were reeling under a deluge. While these extreme disparities may be attributed to improper town planning, another factor prominently at play is ‘climate change’, which is majorly a human-induced phenomenon. Emissions from industries and other human activities are warming up the world, disrupting rainfall patterns and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events. There is an alarming rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the consumption of fossil fuels in the transportation sector and also the brown clouding due to the existing practice of burning crop residues following harvesting. No doubt, climate change is impacting all the countries, and India too is bearing the brunt. In order to limit rising global temperatures and reduce man-made CO2 emissions as quickly as possible, there is a need for sustainable decarbonization.

What is Decarbonization and how does it help?

The term ‘Decarbonization’ means the reduction of carbon. It requires the building of an economic system that sustainably reduces and compensates the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂). The end purpose is to create a CO2 free economy – a bio-economy.

The need for circular bio-economy
A thriving economy that includes increasing reliance on biological processes and bio-based products is a key element of the overall global sustainability transition. The term, Circular Bio-economy, comprises the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value-added products, such as food, feed, bio-based products, and bioenergy. Some of the goals of a circular bio-economy are to:
● Grow safe, nutritious and healthy food, animal feed, and supplements
● Promote the installation of Bioenergy plant and replace fossil fuels with Biofuels
● Develop new, more efficient and sustainable agricultural and marine practices
● Deliver solutions for Green and Sustainable Chemistry

The role of Bio-Fuels in promoting circular bio-economy in India

India imports nearly 80% of crude oil, which incurs high import costs. On top of it, the air quality in urban India is worsening by the day, thanks to the ever-growing vehicular traffic and emissions. This is where Bioethanol production can make a significant difference.
Blended fuel substantially reduces CO2 emissions along with other harmful gases. It is estimated that by blending only 20% ethanol, CO2 emissions can be brought down by around 10 million tonnes by 2022. This is important for a country like India which has agreed to a target commitment made at the climate change summit, to pull down CO2 emissions to 33% by 2030 with respect to the 2005 levels.

Currently, India consumes about 40 MMT of CNG per year out of which 65% is imported. Add to it the increasing demand in India which is growing at a CAGR of 15%. This has prompted the Indian Govt. to promote Compressed Bio-Gas(CBG) as an alternative to CNG. By even partially replacing petrol and diesel with CBG, India can bring down its crude oil consumption by almost 15-20% saving the tunes of almost Rs. 80,000 crores. Additionally, the government has set a target to triple the industrial production of ethanol in four years to save Rs. 12,000 crore in India’s oil import bill by mixing ethanol in petrol.

As such promoting biofuel in India will help in 3 key areas:
1. Significantly cut down on import cost
2. Notably, reduce pollution
3. Generate employment opportunities and increased returns for the farming community

Contribution of Praj industries towards creating a sustainable bio-economy

Praj was incorporated in 1984 with the objective to provide cutting edge solutions to the ethanol industry. Praj was recently awarded the 8th position in the reputed Biofuel Digest list as the hottest company in advanced bio-economy, also the first Asian company to make it in the top 10 rankings. They are setting up 2nd generation (2G) integrated smart biorefineries which are capable of processing multiple feedstock/ biomass like corn and sugarcane residue, rice or wheat straw, various lignocellulosic biomass to produce fuel-grade ethanol, biochemicals, bio CNG, liquid CO2, bio-fertilizers, and power exported to the grid. Praj is also working with Gevo, a US-based company, to produce jet biofuels. All these measures will eventually take us several steps closer to a bio-sustainable future.

Ethanol Manufacturers Worldwide Look Beyond Corn to Produce Ethanol

Blog

Corn, which is the most popular feedstock, is now finding replacements in the form of feedstocks as diverse as waste gases from landfills, wood waste from sawmills, and biomass feedstocks from sugar mills.

Praj has been working on consistently developing the bioethanol production technology since the past 35 years. This technology is fueling 100% of ethanol in Columbia and more than 60% production in Thailand. It is working towards a circular bio-economy through its cellulosic ethanol technology: ‘Enfinity’. This technology allows plants to produce cellulosic ethanol from biomass feedstocks, such as rice and wheat straw, bagasse, corn cobs, and stover, among others. It now has a demo 2G cellulosic ethanol plant placed right next to a Sugarmill to accommodate a variety of feedstocks such as bagasse, rice straw or wheat straw.

Praj is also moving into the renewable gas and renewable chemicals markets. The biogas business, which was operational the past many years only as a part of their wastewater treatment plant, is now being used in the production of ethanol.

Praj is also working with Gevo, a U.S.-based company, to produce jet biofuels. With this collaboration, they aspire to produce Isobutanol using juice, syrup, and molasses as feedstocks.

Read more to learn in detail http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/16180/feedstock-flexibility

Amol Sheth talks at AIDA on Praj 2nd Gen Ethanol Tech ‘Enfinity’

Blog

Mr. Amol Sheth’s presentation at AIDA seminar on Praj 2nd Gen Ethanol Technology – Feb 2016

Greenhouse Gas emissions have been a significant contributor to the pollution scenario of the world in recent times. This invites an urgent need to adopt an environmentally friendly approach to meet the fuel demands brought by rapid urbanization. The biomass to biofuel technology project by Praj called ‘Enfinity’ is aimed at reducing carbon footprints and popularising sustainable technology into the mainstream. It involves 2nd generation bioethanol plant using Agri-based feedstocks.

This technology can help produce 3525 crore liters of bioethanol per annum from nearly 141MMT of biomass, which can not only meet nations fuel ethanol requirement, but also export to neighboring countries. The key challenges for the ‘Enfinity’ project includes Feedstock sourcing, Economic viability and Risk Management. Praj has already signed 4 MoUs with 4 prospects in North India and has also attracted NRI investors.