Page 136 - CW E-Magazine (4-6-2024)

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a more generic level, he stressed the company’s overall chemical sales, from developed internally at GBL, the com-
importance of bio-transformations in under 10% just a couple of years ago. pany is looking to partnerships with
the business of speciality chemicals, in global leaders to drive product offtake.
particular the manufacture of optically The range of bio-based chemicals It has, for example, tied up with a ma-
active intermediates and drugs. “This that GBL currently makes includes ace- jor European company for the offtake
is a weak area in India, but one which taldehyde, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, of a bio-based ester used for coatings,
is seeing major breakthroughs,” 1,3-butylene glycol, crotonaldehyde, and is supplying a key raw material that
Prof. Sharma added. 3-methyl-3-penten-2-one, and paral- goes into making a well-known aroma
dehyde. There are ambitious plans to chemical to another multinational. “Our
Transition away from commodity valorise bagasse – the fi brous waste left strategy as a Group is to use biomass to
chemicals behind after extraction of cane crushing – make foods, electricity, biochemicals
According to Mr. Samir Somaiya, to make high quality cellulose (which and biofuels. This is the only planet that
GBL’s growth strategy hinges around can be derivatized to make a range of we have, and it is our duty to protect
“the transition from making commodity eco-friendly polymers), lignin & deri- it. Often, this is an empty promise, but
chemicals (such as ethyl acetate) to val- vatives, among others. that is not so with us. We are building
ue-added chemicals based on bio-based a company based on bio-resources, and
raw materials, using green chemistry.” While the technologies needed for biochemicals are a big part of this,”
These now account for about 50% of the the new portfolio of products has been Mr. Somaiya added.

PARTNERSHIP
Reliance inks licensing deal with Norway’s Nel

for alkaline electrolysers

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) has of green hydrogen. “RIL is building a
inked a technology licensing agreement multi-GW fully integrated end-to-end
with Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, a new energy value chain, from photon to
fully-owned subsidiary of Norway’s Nel green molecules. Green hydrogen is a
ASA, for electrolyser manufacturing in critical element of the new energy value
India. The agreement provides RIL with chain – and the partnership between
an exclusive license for Nel’s alkaline RIL and Nel in relation to alkaline
electrolysers in India and also allows electrolysers is an important milestone
RIL to manufacture Nel’s alkaline elec- towards the sustainable energy future,”
trolysers for captive purposes globally. Nel said in a press note.
this agreement also get a revenue
Through the agreement, RIL gets stream from a rapidly growing mar- RIL had earlier said it is collaborat-
access to Nel’s proven technology ket Nel could not have accessed on its ing with Denmark’s Stiesdal A/S on the
platform for manufacturing electroly- own.” According to the agreement, Nel manufacturing of their HydroGen elec-
sers, a press statement said. The release can procure equipment from Reliance trolysers in India.
also added that both partners will also for its own projects. Nel will continue
collaborate on future performance to serve the Indian market with technol- Earlier this year, RIL was allotted
improvements and cost optimisation ogy platforms that are not covered by 300-megawatt (MW) capacity under
through research and development the agreement. the government’s production linked
(R&D), value engineering, standardisa- incentive (PLI) scheme for electrolyser
tion and modularisation to improve the RIL is building the Dhirubhai manufacturing. RIL aims, according
competitiveness of the alkaline tech- Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex to the company’s earlier statements,
nology platform. over 5,000 acres in Jamnagar, Gujarat. to progressively commence transi-
The complex comprises different giga tion from grey/blue hydrogen to green
Nel’s President and CEO, Mr. factories, including an electrolyser manu- hydrogen by 2025, after proving its cost
Håkon Volldal, said, “Nel will through facturing factory, for the production and performance targets.

136 Chemical Weekly June 4, 2024

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