SunBridge BioEnergy Ltd has commenced commercial production at its 300 KLD grain-based ethanol plant in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, expanding the SunBridge Group’s bioenergy operations as the company prepares to take its ethanol portfolio to 700 KLD with a planned facility in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
Key Takeaways
- SunBridge BioEnergy has started commercial ethanol production at its 300 KLD Seoni facility.
- The plant has 11,000 kilolitres of storage capacity and covers approximately 117,560 sq m.
- A 400 KLD facility in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, is expected to take the company’s total ethanol capacity to 700 KLD once operational.
- The Seoni plant produces DDGS and distillers corn oil (DCO) as co-products and uses water recovery, reuse and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems.
Context
The Seoni facility produces fuel-grade ethanol from damaged food grains, including maize and broken rice. According to the company, these materials are not suitable for human consumption, allowing them to be utilised as feedstock for fuel production.
The plant is also designed to generate co-products including distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and distillers corn oil (DCO), which the company says are primarily used in poultry and cattle feed.
SunBridge BioEnergy said the facility incorporates water recovery and reuse systems supported by zero liquid discharge operations. The approach is intended to improve water utilisation and resource efficiency at the ethanol plant.
The company’s next capacity addition is a 400 KLD facility in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, which is described as soon to be operationalised. Once operational, the facility would bring SunBridge BioEnergy’s ethanol portfolio to 700 KLD.
Company speaks
Commenting on the start of production, Anuj Agarwal, Founder and Chairman of SunBridge Group, said, “The commencement of ethanol production at our Seoni facility marks an important step in SunBridge’s journey into bioenergy.”
Agarwal said the company is focused on building a scalable bioenergy platform combining energy and resource efficiency while creating value for farmers and rural economies.
He added that the Seoni facility represents the beginning of the company’s bioenergy expansion and said SunBridge sees potential to build on the platform as India’s bioenergy ecosystem evolves toward sustainable energy and reduced dependence on fossil fuels.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
The Seoni commissioning gives SunBridge BioEnergy an operating 300 KLD ethanol base, while the planned Raipur facility would more than double its portfolio capacity to 700 KLD. The combination of damaged-grain feedstock, ethanol production and saleable DDGS and DCO creates multiple output streams from the same grain input, while the plant’s ZLD and water-recovery systems address resource-use considerations that are increasingly relevant to large-scale biofuel operations.
