Nano grain-based ethanol unit commences at NSI

Kanpur: Operation of ‘Nano grain-based ethanol unit’ has commenced at the National Sugar Institute, Kanpur.
“The unit has been integrated with the existing ‘Molasses-based ethanol unit’. Now the unit can produce ethanol from juice, syrup and molasses or from grains such as rice and maize.
“The unit will be utilized for imparting practical training to the students of the Alcohol Technology Course. With the development of such a facility, National Sugar Institute has now become the only sugar institute across the globe to have such an advanced facility for effective training”, said director, National Sugar Institute, Narendra Mohan.
He said the students will develop a better understanding of unit operations and process parameters to be maintained to achieve the highest possible productivity.
The experience so gathered will infuse confidence in students, resulting in the making of competent alcohol technologists. The unit has been carefully designed with most of the equipment made of stainless steel and operations being controlled automatically, said Anup Kanaujia, assistant professor of sugar engineering.
The students will get a chance to see the process of ethanol production from various feedstocks and with such practical exposure they will be able to find employment in both molasses and grain based-ethanol units.
The development of such a facility will also facilitate in conducting various experiments with respect to use of combination of feed stocks and dosing of specially developed enzymes to enhance fermentation efficiency, said R Anantha Lakshmi, assistant professor of biochemistry.