A massive cyclization reactor-procured by Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML), India's largest sugar company, from Belgium (with Sulzer securing the order for the PLA plant)-has arrived at the company's Kumbhi facility in Uttar Pradesh. This marks a critical milestone for the company's integrated bioplastics project, which converts sugarcane into polylactic acid (PLA). The equipment reached the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh late on the night of October 22.
Reactor Specifications
Measuring 147 feet in length, approximately 20 feet in height, and about 23 feet in width, the reactor's size posed significant logistical challenges. Due to constraints on transporting oversized cargo, the convoy could only cover 10–12 kilometers per day. The entire journey took nearly six months, with logistics costs alone exceeding 15 million rupees. A Mumbai-based logistics firm managed the transport, deploying a specialized team of approximately 35 personnel to accompany the shipment throughout the journey.
The Transit Journey
The reactor was transported on a heavy-duty trailer equipped with 260 wheels, starting from the port of Paradip in Odisha. The nearly 1,300-kilometer route spanned four states-Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh-passing through seven districts within Uttar Pradesh.
To facilitate the transport, engineers conducted a comprehensive route survey in advance. Local administrative authorities collaborated with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Public Works Department (PWD), traffic police, municipal bodies, the forestry department, and power utility companies. Along the route, overhead power lines were temporarily raised, obstructions on bridges were cleared, and thick steel plates were laid down to create temporary passages through narrow sections.
Sunil Kumar Yadav, General Manager of the Kumbhi facility, told *The Indian Express* that the company had spent six months preparing for the arrival of this core piece of equipment. Installation of the reactor is now underway, and the project is scheduled to begin production in November.
Bioplastics from Sugarcane: A First for India
The cyclization reactor serves as the core equipment for the PLA (polylactic acid) production line, facilitating the conversion of sugarcane-based raw materials into PLA. The project employs an integrated model, leveraging the existing resources of BCML's sugar mills. Sugarcane processing byproducts are used directly as feedstock for the biopolymer production line: sugarcane is first converted into lactic acid, then into PLA, and finally processed into pellets for use in downstream sectors such as packaging and textiles.
BCML has invested a total of 30.8 billion rupees (approximately 2.182 billion RMB) in the project. Construction is being carried out in phases, with an overall timeline of about two and a half years. The new facility is designed for an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons. Once completed, it will be India's first large-scale PLA production plant. The project also incorporates a "zero liquid discharge" (ZLD) system, ensuring that no industrial wastewater is released into the environment.
The assembly of equipment on-site is currently progressing as planned. The next key phase involves commissioning the units, with the goal of commencing production by November.
Project Investment Surges by 54%
The project was initially budgeted at 20 billion rupees, a figure that was adjusted to 28.5 billion rupees by the time the foundation stone was laid. On April 23, 2026, the BCML Board of Directors officially approved a further increase of 2.3 billion rupees, bringing the total investment to 30.8 billion rupees-a 54% surge from the original estimate.
