Sona Machinery Gears Up to Fulfill India's Rising Ethanol Demand

The company will provide full-service EPC solutions to grain-based distilleries across the country, including engineering, procurement, and commissioning services and cutting-edge turnkey solutions.

Sona Machinery's entry into a new business vertical comes when India is attempting to double its ethanol production capacity from 684 million litres to 1,500 million litres. This increased output will be critical to meeting the government's ambitious target of a 20% ethanol blend in gasoline by 2025. This target is expected to save INR 30,000 crore in foreign exchange yearly while improving India's energy security and reducing pollution. Sona Machinery intends to capitalize on this massive market opportunity.

Speaking on the development, Vasu Naren, Managing Director & CEO, Sona Machinery, said, “Ethanol is one of the most important ingredients for a wide range of industrial applications such as drinks, drugs, plastics, lacquers, polishes, plasticizers, and cosmetics. It is also increasingly finding adoption as a biofuel. It is being used to blend conventional oil-based fuels such as petrol and diesel to reduce their environmental impact and cost. Some countries, such as Brazil, have already switched to 100% ethanol fuel.”

“India, as a grain-rich economy, has similar potential. Given its impact on the environment and economy, ethanol will be an important ingredient in making a future-ready nation. Sona Machinery is delighted to contribute to this growth story with a full range of EPC services and turnkey solutions,” he added.

“Sona Machinery will own the end-to-end process of establishing a grain-based ethanol manufacturing facility. Doing so will help us unlock deep synergies that will minimize waste, improve productivity and profitability, and ensure seamless scalability for our clients,” he added.

Sona Machinery’s key differentiation is that it will manufacture 90% of the machinery required for milling and handling starch-rich grain such as rice, maize, millets, and wheat. These solutions will cover all key processes, from cleaning and destoning to grinding and weighing.

It will also provide various engineering services, including designing, drawings, and structural blueprints. It will also procure material, electrical devices, and machinery to establish grain processing facilities. The organization will also be in charge of commissioning, structural fitting and fabrication, and silo construction.