Empee Sugars and Chemicals is scheduled to start trial production of its 5,000 tonnes crushed per day (TCD) sugar plant in Tirunelveli on January 29.
Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, M. P. Purushothaman, Chairman, Empee Group, said an integrated complex was being established at a cost of Rs. 515 crore in Ambasamudram taluk, Tirunelveli. It would have a sugar plant with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes a day, 50 MW of co-generation plant and one lakh litre of alcohol/ethanol plant. The sugar plant was capable of expanding the capacity to 8,000 tonnes a day.
Commercial production of sugar factory and power plant would commence in February. K. Jayachandran, Joint Managing Director, said the company had entered into a power purchase agreement with Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and also the option of selling power to third parties.
Mr. Purhshothaman said the company was planning to go in for grain-based alcohol as the grain (maize, broken rice) availability in and around Tirunelveli was abundant. There were also plans to establish a sugar refinery at a later date to tap the European market.
