Ellenbarrie Industrial Gases bagged a ₹481 crore contract from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) to design and build a 1,200 tons per day (TPD) cryogenic Air Separation Unit (ASU) for a coal-gasification project in Odisha. The ASU will support BHEL’s 2,000 TPD Coal to Ammonium Nitrate project at Bandhabal in Jharsuguda district. The order also marks Ellenbarrie’s entry into the emerging large-scale coal-gasification opportunity in India.
Ellenbarrie to Execute Turnkey Air Separation Project
Ellenbarrie will undertake the complete execution of the air separation plant. Its scope includes design, engineering, equipment supply, installation, testing and commissioning. The company will also conduct trial operations, train plant operators and demonstrate that the facility meets specified performance guarantees. In addition, Ellenbarrie will supply the required spare parts as part of the project. The project will be executed over eight quarters and is expected to achieve commissioning in FY29.
Cryogenic ASU to Support Coal Gasification
The plant will be developed on a Build and Transfer basis. Therefore, Ellenbarrie will construct the facility but will not own or operate it over the long term. Air Separation Units play an important role in commercial-scale coal-gasification projects because they produce large volumes of oxygen and nitrogen required for the gasification process. The BHEL project will therefore require a reliable supply of these industrial gases to support its coal-to-ammonium-nitrate production process.
Project Supports India’s Coal Gasification Goals
The contract comes as India expands its focus on coal gasification under the government’s National Coal Gasification Mission. India has set a target to gasify 100 million tons of coal annually by 2030. The initiative aims to reduce dependence on imports while supporting domestic production of products such as ammonia, urea, methanol and hydrogen. Against this backdrop, Ellenbarrie expects the growing coal-gasification sector to generate additional demand for large-scale air separation plants in the coming years.
Largest Air Separation Plant for Ellenbarrie
According to Ellenbarrie, the BHEL contract represents the largest air separation plant the company has undertaken to date. The project also places the company among the limited number of players capable of developing ASUs with capacities exceeding 1,000 TPD. Furthermore, the order expands Ellenbarrie’s engineering capabilities beyond its traditional merchant and onsite industrial gas businesses. As reported by cnbctv18.com, by taking on the 1,200 TPD ASU project, the company is strengthening its presence in large-scale industrial gas infrastructure and positioning its engineering business to participate in emerging opportunities linked to India’s coal-gasification and energy transition initiatives.
