Mumbai: The Bharuch-based fertiliser and chemical major Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers Company (GNFC) has planned an investment to the tune of Rs 250 crore for expansion of their acetic acid manufacturing capacity, increasing the production to 100,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) from the present 50,000 MTPA.

With this expansion, the company hopes to increase its domestic market share by 10 per cent. Currently, GNFC enjoys a share of 20 per cent of the domestic market. The current demand for acetic acid in India stands at 370,000 MTPA, of which nearly 45,000 MTPA is imported.

GNFC is the only company in India to manufacture acetic acid through the methanol route using state-of-the-art technology from BP Chemicals, UK. The plant is based on the most modern methanol carbonylation technology and is the first of its kind in India. Other domestic manufacturers produce acetic acid through the molasses route, which depends on the availability of sugarcane crop, which is seasonal.

Acetic acid is mainly used in textile industries for textile processing and printing and is widely used as a preservative in food industry. Besides, it is also used in the manufacture of other chemicals like acetic anhydride, vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and a host of other chemicals.

GNFCs glacial acetic acid has the reputation having the best quality and reliable supplies round the year. In view of this, major industries like Reliance Industries and Gujarat Dyestuff Industries have tied up with GNFC.

Incorporated in 1976, GNFC is a joint sector company having established its reputation as the leading Indian manufacturer of nitrogenous and phosphate fertilisers such as urea, ammonium nitro-phosphate, calcium ammonium nitrate and industrial chemicals such as methanol, formic acid, acetic acid and nitric acid. The company has also made a foray into the field of information technology.

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