Invasive Gando Baval's Wise Use to Power
Country's Green Ambitions

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 stands at 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:

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, with the potential to:

• Slash carbon dioxide emissions by up to 95% compared to conventional marine fuels.
• Reduce nitrogen oxides by around 80%, significantly improving air quality near ports.
• Virtually eliminate sulphur oxides and particulate matter from shipping exhaust.

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), green methanol can be blended with LPG at ratios of 10% to 20%, reducing import reliance while tapping into abundant domestic biomass resources. This positions the gando baval project not just as an environmental win, but as a contribution to India's energy sovereignty.