| File Note: |
The Project Proponent has applied for obtaining fresh ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Water Act, 1974 & the Air Act, 1981 for operation of a bio-fuel manufacturing plant to produce “Bio-fuel Intermediate @ 20 TPD & Heavy Hydrocarbons (Green Furnace Oil) @ 10 TPD” from by-products of vegetable oil and fat industry containing carboxylic acids and its derivatives.
The bio-fuel manufacturing plant has been established for research purpose to produce bio-fuel from by-products of M/s A.P. Refinery Private Limited (solvent plant and refinery unit). Wax, rice fatty and Fatty Acids/High Fatty Acid Oil are low market value by-products of solvent refinery units and the PP has proposed to use these products as raw material to produce bio-fuel. Detail of case is as under:
1. The industry namely “M/s Greenchem Energies Private Limited” has taken 1750 m2 land on lease from M/s A.P. Refinery Private Limited. Registered land lease agreement is valid upto 31.03.2025.
2. The PP has submitted C.A. certificate dated 12.12.2023 and as per this certificate, the value of fixed assets of the industry is 4.01 crores.
3. The industry has deposited Rs. 10,800/- each vide R.No. 739504859 & 223818739 both dated 15.12.2023 as ‘consent fee’ under the Water Act, 1974 & the Air Act, 1981 which is adequate for period upto 24.02.2024.
4. The PP has obtained Patent of the process vide Patent no.: 339621 granted on 29.06.2020 titled as ‘Production of Biofuels from Carboxylic Acids and its Derivatives’
The industry was visited by undersigned on 16.02.2024 and it was observed as under:
1. The industry has been established on 1750 m2 land taken on lease from M/s A.P. Refinery Private Limited. The industry is located within the premises of M/s A.P. Refinery Private Limited. The industry has not yet commissioned.
2. Manufacturing process consists of heating of raw material i.e. carboxylic acids and its derivatives to a temperature range from 1200C to 1500C in heat exchangers to remove moisture Thermal cracking of the carboxylic acids and its derivatives in a non-catalytic, continuous thermal cracking process in a plug flow type tubular coiled thermal cracking reactor (Reactor is electrically heated) at 400-4500C Vacuum based fractional distillation column for separation of mixed phase fluid from thermal cracking reactor into (i) non-condensable gases, (ii) liquid biofuels and (iii) heavy hydrocarbons to be used as renewable fuel for furnaces.
3. There will be no generation of trade effluent from the process. The industry require steam for operation of distillation column and heat exchangers. The industry has obtained steam through pipeline from M/s A.P. Refinery Private Limited. Also there will be requirement of cooling water for heat quenching in heat exchangers and same will be obtained from M/s A.P. Refinery Private Limited. Used cooling water will be sent back to cooling towers of M/s A.P. Refinery Private Limited.
4. There is no source of air pollution from the process as thermal cracking reaction and Vacuum based distillation are closed loop process. Top product of distillation is bio-fuel and bottom concentrate is heavy hydrocarbons.
5. The PP has established this plant for R&D purpose only as maximum production capacity is 20 TPD for Bio-fuel Intermediate & 10 TPD for Heavy Hydrocarbons (Green Furnace Oil).
Thus, the industry is complying with the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 & the Air Act, 1981.
Keeping the above in view, it is recommended that a short term ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Water Act, 1974 may be granted for production of Bio-fuel Intermediate @ 20 TPD & Heavy Hydrocarbons (Green Furnace Oil) @ 10 TPD for period upto 30.09.2024 subject to suitable conditions alongwith following special condition:
The industry shall not generate any trade effluent from its premises.
Competency: The Senior Environmental Engineer, ZO-2, Ludhiana. |
