Pune-based Praj Industries, a process, and project engineering company, recently signed a cooperation agreement with Sekab E-Technology AB, a Swedish cleantech company, to upgrade and commercialize base technology to produce advanced biofuels and biochemicals from forest residue as feedstock.
According to the company’s statement, Praj will extend its platform to Sekab’s CelluAPP technology to convert forest residue in the form of softwood to ethanol. CelluAPP technology platform helps to extract cellulose sugars and lignin from forest or agricultural residues.
The company stated that the cooperation between the two firms would enable comprehensive, advanced biofuel solutions for the Nordic countries, the United States, Canada, and other countries where the surplus residues from the forest, is in abundance.
Ethanol is a cleaner alternative to fossil-based fuels, which is manufactured from the conversion of carbon-based feedstocks such as sugarcane, switchgrass, corn, and barley.
“The Praj-Sekab partnership will facilitate carbon dioxide reduction by offering bio-mobility solutions for the transportation industry in the form of advanced biofuel produced from softwood,” it added.
In a country like India, where its agrarian sector fuels the overall economic growth, biofuels assume great significance in light of the country’s ambitious goals of doubling farmers’ income, import reduction, employment generation, and waste-to-wealth creation.
Reference- Praj PR, Sekab Pr and website, Mercom India