Page 8 - AsianOil Week 43 2022

AsianOil SOUTH ASIA AsianOil

Verbio launches Indian

biogas plant

ENERGY GERMAN biofuel producer Verbio has would like to build more plants and support the
TRANSITION launched a 33 tonne per day (tpd) biomethane government programme SATAT if a solid busi-
plant in Lehragaga in India’s Punjab province, ness case allows it,” Verbio CEO Claus Sauter
It is a first for India. the company reported on October 26. said in a statement. “The Indian government
The facility will process around 100,000 has a very strong influence on the energy mar-
tonnes per year (tpy) of straw into biomethane ket as a whole. That is why we are in ongoing
that will then be sold as bio-compressed natural talks with the government to design the reg-
gas (CNG) at the regional filling station network ulatory framework for the targeted expansion
of Indian Oil Corp. (IOC). of advanced biofuels and to define a basis for
Verbio hailed the plant as the first of its kind long-term growth.”
in India and wider Asia, noting it had been built At an inaugural event to mark the plant’s
as part of India’s Sustainable Alternative Towards launch, the Union Minister of Petroleum and
Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initia- Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, said the facil-
tive, kicked off in 2018. The scheme is aimed at ity was just the beginning of India’s masterplan
encouraging the production of biomethane from for a bio-CNG based rural economy. Such pro-
biomass waste sources, including agricultural jects represent a significant win-win situation for
residue, cattle dung and sugarcane. farmers and the environment, he said.
The company says there is considerable “Not only will the plant generate additional
scope to expand such operations in India, esti- income for Sangrur’s farmers but will also pro-
mating that the country has around 300mn tpy vide a much-needed alternative to [straw] stub-
of unused straw that could serve as biogas feed- ble burning,” he said. It will cut down the need
stock. However, the market is also facing some for stubble burning across 40,000-45,000 acres
challenges. (16,190-18,210 hectares) of fields, resulting in an
“In India we are entering a growth market annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 150,000
for renewable energies with huge potential. We tonnes, he added. ™

EAST ASIA

Large blast occurs at

Taiwan plant

PROJECTS & AN explosion rocked Taiwan’s state-owned CPC said, adding that a preliminary investigation
COMPANIES Dalin refinery in the southern city of Kaohsiung suggested a gas leakage was the cause, but fur-
on the night of October 26, with footage released ther checks are needed. Kaohsiung’s mayor Che
The company has said by the local fire department showing a large Chi-Mai ordered CPC to suspend operations at
that its overall fuel blaze at the site. Local officials noted that no one the facility until an inspection had taken place,
production has not was hurt as a result of the blaze. adding that labour and environmental author-
been affected. Fire was seen raging above the facility, with ities had imposed a total fine of TWD5.3mn
thick smoke billowing into the sky for over an ($165,000) on the company.
hour, according to footage posted on Youtube. According to the authorities, some four viola-
The explosion was seen by residents several kilo- tions have been recorded at the Dalin plant dur-
metres away. It occurred at 22:35 local time, and ing the past year, including illegal operations at
it took until early on October 27 for the fire to be a combustion tower, leaks at equipment compo-
extinguished. nents, accidental fires and a previous explosion.
Despite the scale of the blaze, CPC spokes- The fire erupted at residue hydrotreater No.3,
person Ray Chang told Reuters that there was according to the plant’s operator. The unit has a
only a “very limited impact” on the company’s capacity of 40,000 barrels per day (bpd), and is
output, as several other units it has on the island used to strip sulphur from oil products. The inci-
were able to ramp up production. dent occurred during routine maintenance at
“We are moving quickly to look into the cause the site. CPC has an overall capacity to produce
of the incident and make improvements,” Chang 258,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of benzene. ™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 43 31•October•2022