Praj and Aker Kvaerner in Europe bioethanol jv

26 April 2007 13:19  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--The 60:40 joint venture between India’s Praj Industries and Aker Kvaerner to develop bioethanol projects in Europe expects to win its first contracts this year, Praj chairman Pramod Chaudhari told ICIS news on Thursday.

 

“We are bidding on several projects and also doing studies on several others”, he said.

 

“There will be a real flow of projects soon”, he added, spurred on by the EU’s decision to mandate 10% use of biofuels in transport fuels by 2010. He sees these being developed across western and central and eastern Europe.

 

The joint venture, which has not yet been named, will be based in the Netherlands. It will initially focus on bioethanol, which will then be extended to biodiesel in the future, said Chaudhari.

 

Wim van der Zande, president of AK Process, Aker Kvaerner’s European process business, added that EU clients in the biofuels sector were looking for a complete package for projects, covering technology, construction and even operational assistance.

 

The joint venture, he said, would be able to offer this and even to upgrade the plants once they were up and running as technology developed.

 

Praj has 23 years’ experience in bioethanol in India and around the world, offering processed based on sugar and starch feedstocks.

 

It is also developing second generation technologies based on cellulosic materials. Its research and development centre in India can optimise processing depending on the exact qualities of the feedstock used, which can vary from place to place, depending on factors such as climate.

 

The exact structure of the joint venture is still being hammered out, said van der Zande, but it should be ready in the next 2-4 weeks.

 

Aker Kvaerner will use local partners and content in the execution of projects, he added, to achieve the lowest costs for the projects it undertakes. “It is a very competitive market”, he stressed.

By: John Baker
+44 20 8652 3214

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