Naturol begins biodiesel exports from Kakinada

Naturol Bio-Energy Limited is exporting 9,000 tonnes of bio-diesel to European countries, particularly the Netherlands.

Flagging off the shipment, minister of state for defence MM Pallam Raju said, "The Centre should encourage bio-diesel by giving it the required subsidy.''

Naturol plans to export 100,000 tonne bio-diesel a year and is, therefore, targeting to export 10,000 tonnes once in six weeks from the deep water port.

The company has set up a bio-energy plant at Tammavaram village in the Vakalapudi Industrial Park, 10 km from Kakinada, on 30 acres at a cost of Rs 140 crore.

The plant has a capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year. It is growing jatropha on 5,000 acres in Mallisala village in Jaggampet mandal in East Godavari district and also in Vikarabad in Telangana.

Meanwhile, the company has signed MoUs with Singapore-based companies like Agritrade Pte Limited and Willmar Pte Limited to import crude palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia to produce bio-diesel. The company is also importing methanol from Iran, Iraq and other countries.

"We would like to supply bio-diesel in the Indian market too, if the government provides subsidy on the lines of diesel,'' said CV Rao, chairman of Naturol Bio Energy Limited.