GSFC restarts methanol plant after six years of shut down
Aiming to support import substitution, state-owned Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GSFC) has restarted its methanol plant after six years. With installed capacity of 525-tpd (tonnes per day), the plant was commissioned in 2013 and operated for 11 months before shutting down in April 2014 due to non-viability. However, now after over six years, GSFC has re-started the plant with methanol being produced from August 31, 2020 as per the prescribed specifi - cations and quality. According to the company, the plant is running smoothly and sales have started in the domestic market. The fi rest consignment of 30-tonnes was dispatched on August 31, even as the plant is likely to reach a daily production of 470-tonnes by September 10. Methanol is used in several industrial applications like formaldehyde, methyl amines, dyes & intermediates, paints, solvents, adhesives and pesticides, among other things. In the Indian market, however, the major application of methanol is in formaldehyde, which accounts for about 60% of methanol consumption. Currently, GNFC and RCF are the only two companies producing methanol in India. As a result, India’s demand for methanol is met by imports primarily from Middle East countries. With the resumption of its methanol plant, GSFC is estimating an additional turnover of Rs. 150-crore in the current fi nancial year, 2020-21.
