Praj Industries and Sekab E-Technology have signed a cooperation agreement to upgrade and commercialize base technology to produce advanced biofuels and biochemicals from forest residue as feedstock.
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, optimize, 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. 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.
Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj said, “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, Sekab said, “Sekab has a unique technology for converting softwood into 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.
