Invasive shrub from Kutch to power green methanol plant for ocean ships
Kutch: A plant that has been ranked as one of the “top 100 invasive species in the world” may soon be harnessed to produce green methanol and fuel for ocean-going ships.
The Mexican-origin shrub Prosopis juliflora, known as gando baval in Kutch, vilayati keekar in north India and velikathan in Tamil, has for decades threatened biodiversity in Kutch’s Banni grasslands.
The species has crowded out native grasses across thousands of square kilometres in the region. First introduced by the British in the 1920s to ‘green’ Delhi, it was later planted by the Gujarat Forest Department in 1961 to check the advancing salt desert in the Rann of Kutch.
That same weed is now set to become feedstock for India’s first green methanol production plant, designed to supply cleaner fuel for maritime shipping.
Researchers say converting Prosopis biomass into methanol can address two problems at once: curbing an aggressive invasive species and cutting emissions from the shipping sector.
Project officials noted that harvesting the shrub for fuel could help restore grassland habitat for wildlife, including the endangered Great Indian Bustard, while creating rural jobs in Kutch.
Pilot work on sourcing and processing the biomass is underway. The plant’s location and commissioning timeline are expected to be announced later this year.
