Date:05/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/02/05/stories/2008020550602100.htm

Back Kundara Ceramics to switch to organic fuel

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 4 The State-owned Kundara Ceramics is switching from petroleum fuel to organic fuel as part of the company’s efforts to increase profit and production efficiency.

The company is establishing a biomass hot air generator, which is expected to bring down its fuel cost by as much as 80 per cent, according to an official company statement. The generator will be unveiled by the Industries Minister, Mr Elamaram Kareem, on February 6.

The generator is being installed with a financial assistance of Rs 58 lakh from Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT).

The new fuel will be the organic wastes from Oil Palm India Ltd and this will considerably reduce the level of carbon emission from Kundara Ceramics, apart from being a permanent solution to the wastes problem of Oil Palm India.

Kundara Ceramics, established in 1937, is the first public sector company of the State. The company is expecting a profit of Rs 2 crore in the current year, which is targeted to be doubled to Rs 4 crore in the coming year.

The sales turnover, which was Rs 2.90 crore in 2005-06, increased to Rs 9.68 crore in 2006-07 and a 20 per cent growth is expected this year.

The company is currently implementing a project to raise the production from 18,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes by the end of this year. Also, steps have been initiated to revive the company’s porcelain division.