The Hindu Business Line : Stress on energy saving in sugar industry

THE sugar industry should focus on introduction of new technologies with emphasis on energy-saving to survive and thrive in the current market, Dr N.A Ramaiah, former director of the National Sugar Institute, Kanpur, has said.

In his keynote address at a one-day seminar on waste heat recovery in sugar mills, organised by GMR Industries and the South Indian Sugar Technologists' Association here on Friday, he said the industry had come a long way during the past five decades in modernising the mills, "but still there is no room for complacence."

He commended the diffusion technology adopted in South African, Brazilian sugar mills. "It will result in considerable saving in power and increase the recovery rate substantially," he said and added that it was commendable that many mills in Andhra Pradesh were obtaining recovery rates in the range of 12 to 13 per cent.

Mr N.V. Varadarajulu, Director, GMR Industries Ltd, said energy conservation methods had been adopted in its sugar factory, reducing steam consumption to the extent of below 36 per cent during the 2004-2005 season. "We want to bring it down further to below 32 per cent during the current season.''

Mr M. Ramalingam, President of the South Indian Sugar Technologists' Association, also stressed the need for diversification and energy conservation in sugar mills.