Alcohol Technology & Biofuels - Research
Research Projects - Ongoing/Completed
In future there is need of a paradigm shift from conventional sugar, cogeneration & ethanol based sugar complex to a Biorefinery based complex where not only sugar & 1G ethanol will be produced but biofuels, biochemical & other value added products will be produced from sugars (1 G feedstock) and/or bagasse & PMC (2 G feedstock) in an integrated manner.
Biofuels: BioCBG, bio-butanol, bio-hydrogen, 2 G-ethanol, jet fuel, LNG etc.
Biochemical: Lactic acid, gluconic acid, citric acid, xylitol, xylose, succinic acid, ethyl levulinate, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), lignin derivatives, etc.
Other value added products: potash, biomethanated potash rich powder, wax, etc.
List of ongoing R & D projects
Process development for Neera based liquor and vinegar production (VSI)
Traditional verses scientific technologies for Mahua spirit and heriatge alcoholic beverages production optimization, evaluation and training (Govt. of Madhya Pradesh)
Green solvent assisted recovery of wax from pressmud cake and use of dewaxed pressmud for bio-composting (vermiculture) to make green fertilizer (RGSTC, GoI)
Microbial process for gluconic acid production (VSI)
Water mining-Next generation water-smart management systems: Large scale demonstrations for a circular economy & society (EU)
"Recovery of potash from incineration boiler ash and its utilization in agriculture" (PSA, GoI)
“Pre-Clarification of molasses to improve the performance of alcoholic fermentation” funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
“Biomethanation of cellulosic waste” VSI funded project.
List of R & D projects completed
“Valorising Waste from Sugar Cane Industries via Innovations in Pre-treatment, Bio-production and Process Intensification (vWa)” funded by Department of Biotechnology through Indo-UK Industrial Waste Challenge.
Process development for invert sugar production (VSI)
“Glycerol production by fermentation” funded by the Sugar Development Fund, Ministry of Food & Civil Supplies, Government of India.
“Improving efficiency of alcoholic fermentation using zeolites” VSI-NCL collaborative project.
“Development of Guidelines for Water Conservation in Distilleries” funded by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
“Performance evaluation of bio-digesters and treatability studies on two-stage aeration system for distillery effluent” funded by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
“Use of different agro-wastes as filler material for bio-composting with distillery spent wash” funded by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
“Development of thermotolerant yeast strains for alcoholic fermentation” VSI funded project.
“Development of Standards and Guidelines for Grain based distillery waste in India” funded by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
Studies on improving molasses quality and effect of sludge, Ca, VFA, SO2 content and microbial count of molasses on fermentation process” VSI funded project.
“Controlling bacterial and wild yeast contamination in molasses fermentation” VSI funded project.
“Design and Development of a microcontroller based Auto-titrator system for estimation of some sugars in sugar and distillery industries” funded by the Sugar Development Fund, Ministry of Food & Civil Supplies, Government of India.
“Cellulosic ethanol production through syngas route” funded by the Sugar Development Fund, Ministry of Food & Civil Supplies, Government of India.
“Pre-clarification of molasses to improve the performance of alcoholic fermentation” funded by PSA to GoI.
“Development of bio-digestor for treatment of concentrated (up to 30 % solids) spentwash” VSI funded project.
“Second generation ethanol production through enzymatic route and/or using genetically modified microbial strains” VSI funded project.
“Evaluation of pilot scale plant performance of pre-clarified molasses to improve alcoholic fermentation” funded by Principle Scientific Adviser to GoI