Germany-based thyssenkrupp nucera has commissioned a new chlor-alkali plant for Kutch Chemical Industries Limited at Padana in Gujarat, marking a significant expansion of the company’s chemical manufacturing capacity in India.
Announced on 5 November 2026, the facility has an annual caustic soda production capacity of 220,000 tonnes and forms part of an expansion project originally announced in June 2022. All five electrolyzers installed at the plant have commenced operations.
thyssenkrupp nucera provided engineering services, proprietary technology and equipment for the project, besides supporting start-up and commissioning activities. The facility uses the company’s BM Generation 6+ technology, with each electrolyzer capable of producing up to 135 tonnes of caustic soda per day. Together, the five units offer a combined daily production capacity of up to 675 tonnes, measured as pure sodium hydroxide.
The company described the facility as one of India’s largest single-train chlor-alkali plants. It will manufacture both caustic soda and chlorine, catering to Kutch Chemical’s captive consumption requirements as well as sales to the domestic market.
Kutch Chemical Industries, part of the Goyal Group of Industries, manufactures and exports bulk and specialty chemicals. Its Gujarat manufacturing complex has operations in chlorination and nitration and produces dye intermediates. Caustic soda is widely used in industries such as soaps and detergents, textiles and aluminium processing, while chlorine serves as an important raw material for several chemical applications.
Commenting on the commissioning, Kiran Joseph, Chief Executive Officer of thyssenkrupp nucera India, said the company’s technology was designed to enhance the efficiency and reliability of chlor-alkali production. Jai Prakash Goyal, Whole-time Director of Kutch Chemical Industries, said the successful commissioning would support the company’s growth ambitions in the Indian market.
The latest development builds on a partnership between the two companies that began in 2017. Kutch Chemical’s original Padana plant commenced operations in 2020 with five electrolyzers based on thyssenkrupp nucera’s BM Single Element technology.
On 30 June 2022, thyssenkrupp nucera announced the expansion order, covering technology licensing and the supply of proprietary equipment. The contract was valued in the low double-digit millions of euros. At the time, the expansion was driven by growing regional demand for basic chemicals and increasing requirements from Kutch Chemical’s own manufacturing operations.
Although the original announcement had targeted completion and commissioning in 2023, the latest announcement confirms that the expanded facility has now been commissioned, with all five electrolyzers operational.