Tag: India

The Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, has issued a tender for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build India’s first port-based bio-methanol plant. The 3,500 t/a plant will use oxy-steam gasification technology to convert biomass into bio-methanol. The scope covers design, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and product certification, with bidders required to outline plant life, warranties, capital expenditure, and operating costs. The move follows DPA’s earlier call in May for turnkey proposals for a larger integrated plant of over 15,000 t/a, and its February 2025 agreement with Bapu’s Shipping Jamnagar Pvt. Ltd. to develop India’s first bio-methanol bunkering facility, including a dedicated bunker barge, at Kandla Port.

L&T Energy GreenTech Ltd (LTEG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), has entered into a joint development agreement with Japan’s Itochu Corporation of Japan to develop and commercialise a 300,000 t/a green ammonia project at Kandla in Gujarat state. Under the agreement, LTEG and Itochu will collaborate on the development of the green ammonia facility, with Itochu planning to offtake the product for bunkering applications in Singapore.

Polish company Hynfra PSA and the New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh have signed a memorandum of understanding to create the joint venture company JK Srivastava Hynfra (JKSH). The company plans invest $4 billion to build a new green ammonia plant powered by up to 3 GW of solar and wind energy supported by battery storage at Visakhapatnam in India’s Andhra Pradesh province. The plant will initially produce 100,000 t/a of green ammonia, with the eventual goal of scaling up to 1 million t/a. The first phase is due to be completed in Q1 2029. Some of the green ammonia will be exported to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, while the remainder will be used domestically in the fertiliser and power sectors, particularly to support the decarbonisation of coal-based power generation through ammonia co-firing.

HHP Five Private Limited, a subsidiary of Hygenco Green Energies Pvt Ltd, has held a foundation-laying ceremony at the site of the company’s new green ammonia plant in Gopalpur, Odisha. Hygenco is developing a green ammonia production facility with a total planned capacity of 1.1 million t/a. The project will be executed in three phases, […]

India India has imposed five-year anti-dumping duties on six Chinese imports, including insoluble sulphur, mainly used in the vulcanisation of rubber. The move follows an investigation by India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) last year, following a complaint by Oriental Carbon and Chemicals in March 2024. The period covered by the investigation was from 1st Jan 2023 to 31st Dec 2023, while the injury investigation period ran from April 2020 to 31st Dec 2023. DGTR made a determination that Chinese exporters had been selling the six products at unfairly low prices, adversely affecting the profitability of Indian producers. DGTR says that the duties it has imposed are “aligned with WTO norms” and aim to protect domestic industries from unfair trade practices and address the growing trade imbalance with China. According to the trade authority, the market share of the countries subject to duties “has been significantly increasing” while local Indian industry’s capacities are “lying idle” amid growing demand. n

Caitlyn India Pvt Ltd (CIPL) has announced a $46 million investment to build a 50,000 t/a phosphoric acid plant in India. The plant aims to reduce import dependence and boost the country’s fertiliser self-sufficiency. Commissioning is planned for the financial year 2027. The facility, to be set up in a port-accessible industrial zone in southern India, will use hemihydrate-dihydrate technology to produce high purity phosphoric acid and cleaner gypsum by-products. A captive sulphuric acid unit will also be included to support efficient operations. Initially, the acid produced will supply Indian fertiliser manufacturers, with plans for captive use in future fertiliser production.

Adani Group subsidiary Kutch Copper has commenced operations at its new Mundra copper refinery and smelter, the company announced on 28 March. The company previously indicated an expected start-up by the end of Q1. The new smelter will help boost domestic supplies of copper, demand for which is robust from the construction, transport and power sectors in particular and likely to double by 2030, with the shift towards clean energy and electric vehicles. This first phase of the project will have around 500,000 t/a copper capacity, with a similar capacity planned to be added in the second phase by 2029.

Dr M.P. Sukumaran Nair, Director of the Centre for Green Technology & Management, Cochin, India and former Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala discusses the challenges facing India’s agriculture and fertilizer industry.

Six Japanese companies have agreed to explore investment opportunities for a large-scale green ammonia plant in Odisha, India, being planned by Acme Group. Last year, IHI Corporation agreed to import up to 400,000 t/a from Acme’s project. IHI has now signed a memorandum of understanding with Hokkaido Electric Power, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Mizuho Bank, and Tokyo Century Corporate. The partners plan to create a special-purpose company for ammonia production and investment participation. Hokkaido Electric is testing ammonia co-firing at its coal-fired power plant and studying infrastructure needs, while Mitsubishi Gas Chemical wants to decarbonise its ammonia use. Mizuho Bank is planning to invest up to $13 billion in hydrogen and ammonia supply chains by 2030, and Tokyo Century is exploring green ammonia as part of its shift beyond solar to support carbon neutrality.

Urea markets are well supplied at present in spite of Chinese export restrictions, but face volatility due to a number of trade barriers and other non-market pressures.