Bengaluru: SunBridge BioEnergy Ltd, the bioenergy arm of SunBridge Group, has commenced commercial production at its grain-based fuel ethanol plant in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.
The plant has a production capacity of 300 kilolitres per day (KLD) and storage capacity of 11,000 kilolitres. It covers an area of about 117,560 square metres, according to the company.
SunBridge BioEnergy is also expanding its ethanol operations, with its total production capacity expected to reach 700 KLD once its 400 KLD plant in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, becomes operational.
The Seoni facility is designed to improve resource use during ethanol production and also produces distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and distillers corn oil (DCO). These products are mainly used as feed for poultry and cattle.
The plant also has systems to recover and reuse water. The facility operates with a zero liquid discharge system to reduce water wastage and improve the use of natural resources.
SunBridge Group Founder and Chairman Anuj Agarwal said the start of ethanol production at the Seoni facility was an important milestone in the group’s entry into the bioenergy sector.
“Our focus is to build a scalable bioenergy platform that brings together energy and resource efficiency, while creating meaningful value for farmers and rural economies,” Agarwal said.
He said the Seoni facility was the beginning of the company’s bioenergy journey and that SunBridge saw significant opportunities to expand as India’s bioenergy sector develops. The company aims to support the shift towards sustainable energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
SunBridge BioEnergy uses damaged food grains, including maize and broken rice, to produce fuel-grade ethanol. The company said the use of damaged and broken rice that is not suitable for human consumption also helps support farming communities.
