Praj join hands with Jaragua in Brazil

Pune: Biofuels technology company Praj Industries Ltd has formed a joint venture company in Brazil in association with Jaragua Equipamentos Industriais Ltda, a Brazilian engineering, procurement, construction and manufacturing (EPCM) company.

Praj will hold 54 per cent in the joint venture that will provide an entry into the fastest growing ethanol market in the world. Jaragua will hold the remaining 46 per cent stake.

End-to-end solutions

Praj Jaragua Bioenergia S.A., the joint venture company, will operate out of Sao Paulo and supply end-to-end solutions for sugarcane juice to ethanol production – right from transportation of cane, cane preparation to juice extraction (milling/diffuser), juice evaporation, fermentation, distillation, molecular sieve (MSDH) based dehydration plant up to wastewater concentration and treatment.

“The joint venture demonstrates Praj’s commitment to the Brazilian ethanol market.

“We are in Brazil for the long haul and will work closely with Brazilian customers to enhance the performance of ethanol plants and their return on investments, Mr Pramod Chaudhari, Chairman, Praj Industries and head of the new joint venture, said.

Brazil is a pioneer in the application of ethanol as a transport fuel blend, having increased its use by introducing flex fuel vehicles, and currently uses 17 billion litres of both hydrous and anhydrous ethanol.

Production is slated to grow from 19 billion litres to 30 billion litres in 2010.