Chempolis partners ACRID to offer ethanol extraction tech

Finland-based biorefining technology firm Chempolis has partnered Avantha Group's research wing ACRID to offer technology to extract ethanol from agri residues. "Chempolis has entered into partnership with ACRID (Avantha Centre for Industrial Research & Development) to offer technology to India to extract ethanol from various agri residues for blending with petrol," a joint statement issued here said. India produces large amounts of bagasse, cane trash, rice and wheat straw whose disposal is an environmental problem.

The partnership will help deliver biorefining technology to convert various agri residues such as bagasse, cane trash, rice and wheat straw, corn stems, grasses, bambo and clean sugar to be further converted to cellulosic ethanol and other biobased chemicals, it said. Currently, only a small percentage of ethanol blending ratio is reached due to lack of proper technologies, ACRID Chairman Rajeev Vederah said. "This partnership can help India achieve 10 percent ethanol blending levels in petrol and 20 percent blending ratio by 2017," he added.

Pasi Rousu, President (Asia Pacific and Americas), Chempolis Ltd, said, "India is today facing many challenges like air pollution, tremendous import of petroleum and underdeveloped countrysides. All these challenges can be turned into highly scalable sustainable (economic, environment and social) businesses." ACIRD was set up in Patiala in 1983 with a view to accelerate research, design and development activities and provide science and technology base in emerging areas.