Page 126 - CW E-Magazine (10-6-2025)

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EXPANDING FOOTPRINT

Safex Chemicals commences operations at new

facility in Bharuch

Safex Chemicals, a leading agro-
chemicals player, has commenced opera-
tions at its new manufacturing facility
in Bharuch, Gujarat. Commissioned in
April 2025, the facility will manufacture
a wide range of liquid and powder crop
protection formulations.

The new capacity will add an initial
production capacity of 30-tonnes per
day for liquid formulations, scalable
up to 80-tonnes per day, and will aug-
ment the current capacity of 23,335-tpa base for our agritech platform, Golden will feature fully automated produc-
for liquid products and 51,395-tpa Farms. Overall, it represents our tion lines, and a R&D centre focused
including liquid, powder and granules. seventh largest in India and eighth on developing advanced formulations
“Centrally located, the Bharuch facility globally, showcasing Safex’s excellence tailored to the evolving needs of Indian
enhances our supply chain effi ciency in manufacturing and innovation for both farmers. Safex emphasised that it will
and responsiveness across key agricul- domestic and international markets,” continuously “assess opportunities for
tural markets in India. This facility will S.K. Chaudhary, Chairman, Safex further expansion in response to grow-
also act as a dedicated manufacturing Chemicals, said. The Bharuch facility ing demand.”
DEMONSTRATOR UNIT

Ceres MW scale electrolyser project produces

fi rst hydrogen

Ceres Power has announced that its temperatures than current state-of-the-art advancements, just like the one we have
fi rst megawatt (MW) solid oxide elec- SOEC technology. The operational phase announced today, are aiming to contribute
trolyser cell (SOEC) demonstrator system, of the demonstrator is expected to show to this goal by helping to build and galva-
located at Shell’s Technology Centre how this brings robustness and lower nise India’s clean energy ecosystem,”
in Bangalore, is now producing hydrogen. operational costs. Phil Caldwell, Chief Executive of Ceres,
This milestone marks an important step, commented.
demonstrating the fi rst MW-scale SOEC The start of hydrogen production by
system in India and the maturity of Ceres’ this demonstrator system marks the begin- “Hydrogen has a huge role to play in
SOEC technology, supported by Shell’s ning of the operational phase of this project, a low-carbon energy system as a feed-
installation, integration and safety assur- with data and learnings used to develop a stock for low carbon gases and low car-
ance expertise. commercially competitive and scalable bon fuels. We are working with Ceres
solution for industrial processes. “This to help advance technologies that can
Shell and Ceres have been in collabo- achievement illustrates how Ceres’ high deliver hydrogen effi ciently and reliably.
ration since 2022, leading to the deploy- effi ciency technology can scale to meet This latest milestone is the next stage in
ment of the MW-scale electrolyser with the needs of industry and deliver a route helping us to learn and evaluate the best
the potential to produce hydrogen at 600 to economically viable hydrogen for green approach to producing lower-cost elec-
kg per day at full capacity with an elec- steel, ammonia and synthetic fuels. India trolysed hydrogen. We are thrilled to
trolyser module effi ciency of 37-kWh/kg has ambitious plans, targeting development begin SOEC hydrogen production,” Theo
hydrogen. The metal supported design of green hydrogen production capacity of Bodewes, General Manager of Hydro-
from Ceres allows it to operate at lower at least 5-mtpa by 2030 and technological gen at Shell Projects & Technology said.

126 Chemical Weekly June 10, 2025

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