Alleima explores innovation opportunities in biofuels sector with its news alloys like Sanicro® 35

  • Interviews
  • Jan 29,24
Alleima India has recently inaugurated new heat exchanger tube facility in Mehsana, India. Sharath Satish, President of Alleima Tube division in the APAC region, and MD of Alleima India in this interview tells the significance of such developments in the country. He elaborates on the potential of Indian market in the energy, chemicals, and petrochemicals sectors and how company is aiming to grow with the growing Indian economy.
Alleima explores innovation opportunities in biofuels sector with its news alloys like Sanicro® 35

Alleima recently established new heat exchanger tube facility in Mehsana. What is the significance of this event in the Alleima journey in India?
Since 2019, we have been steadily expanding our Indian operations in three phases. They include a cold finishing heat exchanger tube line, an H&I tubing factory, and now the final phase is completed, this state-of-the-art heat exchanger tube facility.

This new facility will enhance capacity and capabilities of the production unit to produce advanced alloys in application tubing like heat exchanger tubes for critical segments in chemical and petrochemical, refineries, and the renewable energy segments. 

The launch of our new heat exchanger tube facility marks two pivotal milestones in Alleima’s journey in India: expansion and local production. 

We will now be able to meet the country’s growing demand for high alloy heat exchanger tubes by producing them locally, thereby optimising our supply chain, reducing lead times, and catering more effectively to the specific requirements of customers in the market.

This strategic move positions us to capitalise on India's long-term growth in chemical, petrochemical, and renewable energy sectors by locally producing the advanced alloys. The facility will serve the domestic market and act as a production base for exports to other parts of Asia.

Our growth in India also aligns perfectly with Alleima’s global growth strategy of expanding regional footprints and catering to the burgeoning demand for products in key growth markets. 

How is the global market at present in terms of demand, customer requirements, challenges, and new opportunities?
The global energy market is undergoing dynamic shifts in response to various factors. The demand for energy continues to rise, driven by increasing population growth, urbanisation, and industrialisation worldwide. There is an increasing trend towards sustainable and clean energy sources, reflecting a broader global focus on addressing environmental concerns and mitigating climate change.

This surge is also driven by improved economics, supportive policies, and a strategic alignment of climate security goals. With this momentum, the world is on track for a greener and more secure future powered by clean energy.

At the same time, the traditional fossil fuels still dominate the landscape, as the transition to renewable energy sources takes time and demands substantial investments in technology and infrastructure. 

Which industries are key demand drivers for Alleima, globally and in India? Are there any emerging sectors that will be key for Alleima's growth in the future?
Alleima’s growth strategy is based on capitalising on megatrends such as energy transition, electrification, medical market growth, and growth in the underinvested energy sector. Alleima aims to achieve profitable growth in selected areas of its product portfolio including chemical and petrochemical, hydrogen and renewable energy, industrial heating and medical. 

Our products are critical in many energy-efficient applications, including fuel cells for cars, trucks, and hydrogen production. This expansion in India plan is for us to increase heat exchanger tube capacity and capabilities to produce advanced alloys positioning us to capitalise on the growth opportunities arising from India's chemical and petrochemical industries over the next decade. It will also facilitate the transition to the renewable energy segments and enable us to capture the opportunities from the increased demand for locally manufactured products in India

With the expanded Mehsana mill, we are perfectly positioned to meet the surging demand for renewables including biofuels, solar and the hydrogen infrastructure. We also anticipate significant growth opportunities within Asia's refining, specialty chemicals, fertilisers, and natural gas industries, where our advanced tubing solutions are tailored to meet the specific needs of these critical sectors. 

What are your views on India? What factors are contributing to demand for Alleima's products & solutions?
India is projected to remain as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, with high demand across various industries including energy, chemicals, and petrochemicals. The country’s burgeoning energy demand propels its transition towards a greener economy. This shift underscores the growing emphasis on developing and utilising energy-efficient and sustainable products, areas where our offerings are well-positioned to meet rising demand.

The demand for chemicals, driven by growing populations, translates to higher demand for the chemical and petrochemical industries. High-performance materials and innovative solutions with improved corrosion resistance and extended lifespan are needed to cater to this need.  

With the government's concerted efforts to promote manufacturing within the country, exemplified by the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat programs, we are committed to continuing our investments in India and working with our customers to drive further growth. Our new heat exchanger facility will enable us to produce heat exchanger tubes locally for the chemical and petrochemical segment, driving greater efficiency and sustainability across renewable segments in the country.

With the government encouraging investment in renewable energy and green hydrogen in India, what kinds of new opportunities it is creating for Alleima?
Our materials expertise lies in advanced stainless steels and special alloys, crafted for the toughest conditions with over 900 different alloy recipes for various applications. Our portfolio of stainless steels, special alloys, and industrial heating products is well-suited for constructing and maintaining the infrastructure required. Our materials play a crucial role in solar infrastructure, ensuring corrosion resistance and durability, contributing to the realisation of ambitious solar energy capacity targets. Additionally, our involvement in the emerging hydrogen infrastructure is vital for enabling this transition. Moreover, with our new high-performance alloys like Sanicro® 35, there is opportunity to position our innovation in Biofuels, where India sees a strategic role for Biofuels in the energy basket. Furthermore, the recyclability of our materials further aligns with sustainability goals, enabling Alleima to actively contribute to India’s renewable energy transition through innovative solutions and eco-friendly practices.

What are the key challenges before industries (i.e. your customers) today? How is Alleima helping them solve some of them?
Regulations and sustainability goals are pushing industries to reduce their carbon footprint and optimise energy consumption. This involves not only transitioning away from fossil fuels and adopting renewable energy sources, but also improving process efficiency across all levels of operation. Alleima's portfolio of clean technologies and services, including carbon capture and storage (CCS), empowers our customers to achieve these goals, enabling them to significantly reduce their CO2 emissions and transition towards more sustainable operations.

Beyond our offerings to customers, we demonstrate our commitment to sustainability by leading by example. At our own sites, we utilise approximately 83 per cent recycled material, power our operations with more than 96 per cent fossil-free electricity and prioritise responsible resource management through initiatives like reduced water usage, careful chemical management, and effective use of byproducts. This commitment to sustainability fuels innovation and inspires others to embrace a cleaner future.

With respect to R&D, what is the focus area for Alleima?
We currently have five R&D centers strategically located globally - in Sweden (Hallstahammar and Sandviken), Germany, India, and China. The centers actively collaborate with universities and institutes to develop new and improved materials for their products, focusing on properties like corrosion resistance, high-temperature performance, and lightweight. This global network fuels our extensive portfolio of over 900 actively alloy recipes processed for diverse niche applications. We are dedicated to enhancing the performance of our alloys across key metrics: strength, durability, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature capabilities.

Furthermore, we are committed to minimising the environmental impact in our manufacturing processes. As such, we continuously invest in R&D to develop next-generation alloys with reduced environmental footprints and continue to research on low-carbon alternatives, focusing on materials with improved strength, corrosion resistance, and recyclability.

What are your growth plans in India for the next few years?
Our current focus in India lies in chemical and petrochemical including refining, fertiliser and renewable energy segment. We expect hydrogen, biofuels, and solar infrastructure to become major drivers of our business in the next few years.

With the completion of the expansion of our Mehsana mill, we have increased our manufacturing capacity in India and are now able to cater to growing demand in India. We are also actively expanding our sales force to serve our growing customer base and partners. We expect to increase our local staff strength to 400 employees following the recent facility expansion.

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