Title of Process/ Know-how/ Product/Design/Equipment
A ZLD management of molasses-based alcohol distilleries effluent (spent wash) with value-added products – potash & organics
Application/Uses/Problem being addressed
Effluent from sugarcane molasses-based distilleries (spent wash) pose serious environmental threat for contamination of groundwater & waterbodies. This is the single biggest impediment for ethanol capacity expansion in Indian context. This ZLD compliant spent wash management technology allows distilleries to produce various value-added marketable products (viz., FCO grade potash fertilizer, cattle feed binder etc.) from spent wash.
Salient Technical Features including Competing Features/ Impact
TRL Level & Scale of Development:
Commercial plant is operational.
Business scope & opportunity (in terms of scale, cost, market etc.):
Potential client base:
India: >350 distilleries
SE Asia, Africa, Brazil etc.
Environmental Considerations:
The process is ZLD compliant and all solid streams are saleable product – environmentally safe & benign process; Implementation of the process would lead to better environment in particular for land/water bodies around the distilleries.
Status of Licensing:
Licensed technologyThe technology has been licensed to M/s Aurangabad Distillery Limited (ADL)
Status of Commercialization:
Ready for commercializationThe unit – attached to ADL’s 60-klpd distillery at Walchandnagar, Maharashtra – is operational.
Major Raw Materials Needed
Distillery spent wash, lime, magnesia, nitric acid, sulphuric acid etc.
Major Plant Equipment and Machinery Required
Generic equipment required in chemical plant, viz., reactors, settlers, filter press, dryers etc.
Techno-Economics
Broadly, for a 60 KLD distillery, ₹25-30 crore would be the initial investment towards plant and machinery with a payback period of < 3 years.
Technology Package
Know-how transfer of the process; License fee and other financial details would be made available on specific request.
