Vadodara: The highly invasive gando baval (prosopis juliflora), which has been ravaging Gujarat’s fertile lands and causing immense ecological distress, is silently becoming a cornerstone of India’s green energy ambitions.This thorny ‘mad’ tree is at the heart of a first-of-its-kind green methanol project at Deendayal Port Trust, Kandla.India’s annual methanol demand is 2.8 million tonnes and rising. Kandla could position the country not just as a consumer of green methanol but as a global hub for its manufacture. With commissioning expected by late 2026 or early 2027, the project places Kandla at the forefront of India’s clean fuel transition.Introduced in 1961 to halt the advance of the Rann of Kutch, gando baval has overwhelmed vast stretches of the Banni grasslands, expanding from just 6% coverage in 1997 to more than half today. Its unchecked growth has displaced native species and disrupted fragile ecosystems, prompting sustained — and often costly — restoration efforts.This very biomass will be harnessed as feedstock for a five-tonne-per-day (TPD) green methanol demonstration plant. The project represents a rare convergence of environmental management and industrial innovation.Developed at Deendayal Port with technology support from Vadodara-based Ankur Scientific in partnership with Thermax Energy, the initiative is built entirely on indigenous technology.At its core lies a two-stage process: biomass such as gando baval is first converted into syngas — a mixture rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide — and then turned into methanol.“The starting point itself changes — from fossil fuels to locally available biomass,” said Ankur Jain, MD, Ankur Scientific.Kandla is expected to play a pivotal role in the proposed green shipping corridor linking Rotterdam and Singapore — a route that could become a testbed for low-emission maritime trade.The global shipping industry accounts for nearly 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions and the transition to cleaner fuels has become urgent. Methanol is gaining traction as a viable alternative, capable of slashing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 95%, reducing nitrogen oxides by around 80% and virtually eliminating sulphur oxides and particulate matter.The global green methanol shipping market, valued at $5.85 billion in 2025, is projected to surge past $46 billion by 2034, with Asia-Pacific countries driving adoption through policy incentives and fleet investments.A recent amendment to the shipbuilding framework offers up to 30% financial assistance for vessels powered by green fuels such as methanol, mirroring moves by major maritime economies like China, Japan and South Korea.Yet the project’s implications extend beyond shipping.As geopolitical tensions continue to disrupt global energy supply chains, India’s dependence on imported fuels — particularly LPG — remains a strategic vulnerability. Green methanol offers a potential hedge. Through its derivative dimethyl ether (DME), it can be blended with LPG at ratios of 10% to 20%, reducing import reliance while tapping into abundant domestic biomass resources.
