Celanese, Indian Oil to study building big India fuel ethanol plant

Delhi-based Indian Oil and Dallas-based Celanese have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the potential of a joint investment in a fuel ethanol plant to be built in India, the companies announced this week.

The plant would be based on Celanese’s TCX technology. 

The project is expected to be located at Paradip in Odisha State of India and will utilize petroleum coke (petcoke) from Indian Oil’s refineries as the key feedstock. Other potential locations will also be investigated.

The potential investment would create significant value addition by converting petcoke, a by-product in the refining process, to a low-cost, high-octane and clean-burning gasoline blending component (ethanol) and potentially other co-product petrochemical derivatives, according to project officials.

Ethanol, an ideal blending stock for gasoline production, will help in meeting the rising gasoline demand of India. 

Celanese and Indian Oil say they are undertaking this collaborative study that will benefit both companies as well as India as a whole.