The Hindu Business Line : GNFC invests Rs 78 cr on clean development projects

Ahmedabad, Jan 7 Six eco-friendly wind power generators installed by the State-owned Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Company Ltd (GNFC) in Kutch district of Gujarat with an investment of Rs 55 crore have gone on stream recently, the company said here.

The company had ventured into three eco-friendly projects totalling an investment of Rs 78 crore, which in the long run are expected to have a positive impact on the environment.

The projects include power generation through wind turbo-generators, reduction in greenhouse gas emission at Weak Nitric Acid Plant through clean development mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol and environment-friendly utilisation of dry fly ash, for value addition, a company official said.

Mr S.K. Bannatvala, General Manager, said GNFC had installed six wind turbo generators of 1,500 kilowatt (kw) each, at Lathedi village in Kutch district with an investment of Rs 55 crore. The generators had been supplied and installed by Suzlon Energy Ltd.

All six machines are generating power since December 2007.

This project will help reduce the net power requirement from State electricity grid and provide clean power. About the second eco-friendly project, he said although the nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas), generated in the company’s Weak Nitric Acid plant, is non-toxic in nature and has no adverse effect on living beings, it contributes to global warming and climatic changes.

To reduce the emission of this gas, GNFC installed a special catalyst in the plant with an investment of Rs 8 crore. GNFC uses about five to six lakh mt of coal annually in addition to other fuels to sustain production of fertilisers and chemicals. As a result, about 1.8 lakh mt of ash is generated which is stored in wet form.

GNFC has invested Rs 15 crore, whereby 70 to 80 per cent ash generated from coal would be separated in the dry form which can be utilised by cement/brick manufacturers.

With this new venture, GNFC would be collecting only about 0.4 lakh mt of ash in wet form and no storage facility would be required for the balance 1.4 mt of dry ash, which in turn would save water and power.

The project is expected to be completed by October 2008.

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