To boost ethanol production, Centre moots dedicated enzyme manufacturing

Boosting bio-technology manufacturing in India through enzyme-manufacturing facilities for ethanol production under the BioE3 policy.

Days after the Centre unveiled its BioE3 policy to boost bio-technology-centric manufacturing in India, the Department of Biotechnology – as part of first steps – is contemplating setting up enzyme-manufacturing facilities to bolster ethanol production., according to scientists and officials with the Department of Biotechnology.

The first such plant may come up in Manesar, Haryana and will likely be a supplier to proposed 2G bio-ethanol plants in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Bhatinda (Punjab) and an existing plant in Panipat. Among other things, the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy cleared by the Union Cabinet last week aims to set up ‘bio-foundries’ that will produce biotechnology-developed feedstock and catalysts.

The NITI Ayog estimates that India will need about 13.5 billion litres of ethanol annually by 2025–26. Of this, about 10.16 billion litres will go towards meeting the fuel-blending mandate of E20. ‘2G’ or second generation bioethanol is ethanol that is produced from rice-straw as opposed to the conventional method of sourcing it from molasses (sugarcane).

In 2022, the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. set up a first-of-its-kind 2G ethanol plant in Panipat that uses rice stubble – whose burning spikes pollution in north India – as a feedstock. The plant, theoretically capable of producing 1,00,000 litres of ethanol a day runs at 30% capacity and needs 1,50,000 – 2,00,000 tonnes of rice straw per year, which is generated at the end of the sowing period in September-October.

However a critical ingredient to convert stubble into ethanol are a cocktail of enzymes and an appropriate treatment process. As of today, these enzymes are imported and constitute a significant component of the cost of the 2G-ethanol production process, said Dr. Ramesh Sonthi, Director, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). “We have developed enzymes that are as good, if not better, than the ones currently used for the production of ethanol at Panipat. We have been able to show its efficacy in producing up to 15,000 litres of ethanol and are looking at scaling up,” Mr. Sonthi said.

Maharashtra-based Praj Industries, a leading industrial biotechnology company is the technology licensor (of enzymes from Danish Biotechnology company, Novozymes). That, alongside Praj’s “proprietary technology” (treatment) powers the ethanol refining plant at Panipat, according to a press release from 2022.

“We are now currently working with Praj and they have tested our enzyme and said it as good as the ones they use. They are going to work with us on techno-economic analysis as well as the building of plants,” Dr. Shams Yazdani, senior scientist at the ICGEB, whose research group has developed the enzymes, said. While still early days, a first step is to be able to produce at least 20,000 litres of ethanol at Panipat using the ICGEB-Praj processes.