GIG Karasek has secured a contract from Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd. (BCML) to supply a large-scale dehydration and distillation plant for lactic acid processing as part of a new polylactic acid (PLA) production facility in Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in the second quarter of 2026.
The plant will include four vertical thin-film evaporators of the ECOFILM P type, capable of processing over 25 tons of feed material per hour. The evaporators will handle lactic acid derived from BCML’s in-house sugar production using thin-film evaporation technology.
The project marks BCML’s entry into industrial-scale production of PLA, a bio-based polymer derived from renewable resources such as sugarcane, corn starch, and cassava. PLA is used in packaging, textiles, and other applications and decomposes under industrial composting conditions within a few months.
“This order represents a double milestone for us. First, we are part of an international flagship project that will influence the Indian bioplastics industry. Second, we will manufacture the largest ECOFILM P thin-film evaporators at our facility in Attnang-Puchheim, Austria. These units will also be among the largest of their kind,” said Andreas Schnitzhofer, Managing Director at GIG Karasek.
“We are pleased to announce our strategic partnership with GIG Karasek. Together, we aim to contribute to the development of the bioplastics industry in India,” said Avantika Saraogi, Executive Director of BCML.
Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd. is an Indian company engaged in sugar, ethanol, and energy production. The company is expanding into sustainable production technologies, including bioplastics.
