Kanpur: Under the Auspices of “Aazadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav”, Webinar on a very important topic “Sugar Industry- Potential for Providing Bio-energy & Oxygen” has been organized by National Sugar Institute, Kanpur on 10th May 2021. Apart from discussions on bagasse based cogeneration, ethanol and bio-gas, in wake of Covid-19 and rising demand for Oxygen, presentations on possibilities for producing “Oxygen” under the existing infrastructure of sugar factories shall also be made.
An appeal to all the sugar factories in India has always been issued by Prof. Narendra Mohan, Director, National Sugar Institute, Kanpur. In his appeal he urged the sugar industry that Looking to the acute shortage of Oxygen, sugar factories/distilleries may stop their “not so important/urgent” work requiring welding jobs thus saving precious Oxygen which instead may be used for saving lives. In association with local authorities they may set up small “Care Centres” with facilities for Oxygen so as to provide an immediate life saving therapy. He also called upon the sugar industry to look for setting up Industrial Oxygen Units, particularly on Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) technology keeping in view the large infrastructure available with them. The existing Molecular Sieve De-hydration Systems available in Ethanol units may also be converted for absorbing nitrogen from the air and thus releasing Oxygen which is required. The sugar factories having power export should not face any problem in meeting the additional power requirements, he added.
Earlier also during the first wave of Corona, Sugar Industry was at the forefront in fight against novel virus, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). During the first wave, as a result of the collective efforts of Government of India, State Governments, National Sugar Institute and sugar industry, the production capacity of hand sanitizer was enhanced from meagre 10 lakh litre per annum to more than 30 lakh litre per day in a short span of time. So, this time also, I am confident that the sugar industry in India will rise to occasion, said Prof. Mohan.
