SOLAPUR, INDIA: Balaji Amines is setting up a chemical plant to produce dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl amine hydrochloride (DMA HCL) at an investment of Rs 3000 million ($50 million) in Maharashtra, India. The first phase of the DMF plant with a capacity of 7,500 tonne is set to come on stream by September this year, while the second phase would double the output by December this year, reported Economics Times, an Indian newspaper.
The project assumes significance due to short supply of these amines in global market. Used as raw materials for manufacturing anti-diabetic and antibiotic, these amines always remain in supply deficit due to rapid expansion in production capacity of pharmaceutical companies.
The only substitute to this product is dicyandiamide (DCDA) which is largely produced in China. But, being the highest polluting industry, DCDA manufacturing unit can’t be set up anywhere and everywhere. Accumulating the two plants, the total DMF production capacity of Balaji Amines would go up to 52,000 tonne making it the world’s largest producer of DMF. “Total import of DMF was recorded as 17,000 tonne, therefore, we proposed to set up a unit with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tonne,” said D Ram Reddy, Director, Balaji Amines.
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