EPCA '07: India's Jubilant to expand capacities

01 October 2007 12:15  [Source: ICIS news]

BERLIN (ICIS news)--Indian life sciences and fine chemicals major Jubilant Organosys Limited (JOL) plans to expand its acetic acid and acetic anhydride capacities by March 2008 to keep pace with growing domestic demand, a senior company official said on Monday.

"Our acetic acid capacity will increase to 140,000 tonnes/year following the expansion, while our acetic anhydride capacity will be hiked to 51,000 tonnes/year, once our new plant goes on stream," said Pankaj Kapoor, president of the company's acetyls, ethanol and speciality gases business.

Kapoor was speaking on the sidelines of the European Petrochemical Association conference.

The expansions would turn JOL, already India's biggest ethyl acetate and acetic anhydride maker, into the number one acetic acid producer.

JOL operates an 80,000 tonne/year acetic acid plant and 33,000 tonne/year acetic anhydride unit at at Gajraula in Uttar Pradesh state. Also located at Gajraula are a 25,000 tonne/year ethyl acetate plant and a 47,000 tonne/year pyridine unit.

The new acetic anhydride plant would be located at Nira in Maharashtra, where JOL also runs acetic acid and ethyl acetate plants each with a capacity of 30,000 tonnes/year, Kapoor said.

JOL is the world's largest producer of pyridines and their derivatives, which are used in the manufacture of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, shampoos and other products.

"The company is focused on adding value to the pyridine chain and is able to do this effectively through integration," said Kapoor.

JOL's main feedstock is sugarcane molasses, which is processed to obtain ethanol. This alcohol, in turn, is used to produce acetaldehyde, which is later used as an intermediate in the manufacture of acetic acid and pyridines.

By: Prema Viswanathan
+65 6780 4359

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