Praj Industries and Sekab E-Technology AB, Sweden have signed a cooperation agreement to upgrade and commercialise base technology to produce advanced biofuels and bio-chemicals from forest residue as feedstock.
As a part of this cooperation, Praj will add significant value to Sekab’s CelluAPP technology of converting forest residue in the form of softwood to ethanol, through Praj’s proven capabilities to improve, optimise, integrate and scale up advanced biofuel technologies globally.
Developed by Sekab at its bio-refinery demonstration plant, CelluAPP is a proprietary process for pre-treatment of wood residue followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and co-fermentation to produce ethanol. Praj has complementary strengths by way of its state-of-the-art R&D, optimising and integrating technologies, scale-up engineering and experience of developing and deploying technologies at commercial scale. This cooperation will enable comprehensive advanced biofuels solutions for the Nordic countries, the USA, Canada and other geographies where surplus residues from snow forest, is available in abundance.
Praj’s proprietary enfinity technology to process agricultural residue (bagasse, rice straw, wheat straw, corn stover, cotton stalk, and empty palm fruit bunches) to produce advanced biofuels, has won the confidence of the oil and gas industry. Praj has licensed enfinity technology to as many as four Oil companies to set up integrated bio-refineries which are in various stages of implementation.
To combat the evils of climate change, the Nordic countries have committed to ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The Praj-Sekab partnership will facilitate CO2 reduction by offering Bio-mobility solutions for the transportation industry in the form of advanced biofuels produced from softwood. Praj’s Bio-Mobility TM platform promotes the use of renewable resources to produce low carbon transportation fuel modes of mobility, namely surface, air and water.
Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj, said, “We are pleased to extend our enfinity platform to now process forest residue as feedstock based on Sekab’s CelluAPP technology. This partnership will offer sustainable decarbonization solutions through a circular bio-economy.” He further added that this association with Sekab, one of Europe’s leading chemical and environmental technology companies will help fulfill RED-II mandate and LCFS. “This agreement will provide a strong platform to service emerging opportunities in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as well as renewable chemicals, strengthening India’s position in the advanced biofuels market globally.”
Tomas Nilsson, CEO of Sekab said “Sekab has a unique technology for converting softwood in to cellulosic sugar and lignin. Praj is a unique partner with proven capabilities to improve, optimize, integrate and scale up advanced biofuel technologies. Together Sekab and Praj will offer sustainable solutions that will support achieving targets for climate change.”
Both companies will jointly pursue identified commercial opportunities in Northern Europe to support projects catering to environmental protection and bioenergy.
