What is a activated acid washed granules carbon project report?
An activated acid washed granules carbon project report is a detailed project report (DPR) for a plant that steam-activates coconut shell charcoal and washes the granules in dilute hydrochloric acid. It sets out the process, machinery, raw materials, project cost, five-year projections, DSCR and break-even a lender needs.
Promoters use it to size the plant and raise a term loan; banks and investors use it to judge whether the plant can repay.
Also known as: acid washed granulated activated carbon project report, project report on activated acid washed granules carbon, activated acid washed granules carbon business plan, acid washed GAC plant DPR.
Activated acid washed granules carbon manufacturing plant cost in India
Our sample report models a plant making 5,300 kilograms of acid washed granules a day, or 17,49,000 kg a year over 330 working days. It starts at 60% of capacity and reaches 80% in Year 5, selling at ₹149 per kg before GST.
Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) is the cash a plant earns for every rupee of loan instalment due. In the sample it averages 1.59 and is lowest in Year 2, at 1.39, when full principal repayment begins.
| Land and site development | 65.02 |
|---|---|
| Building and civil works | 236.75 |
| Plant and machinery | 533.82 |
| Other fixed assets | 84.13 |
| Contingencies | 38.53 |
| Preliminary and pre-operative | 23.96 |
| Working capital margin | 60.48 |
| Total | 1,042.69 |
| Promoter's contribution (25%) | 260.67 |
|---|---|
| Term loan from bank (75%) | 782.02 |
| Cash credit limit (separate) | 181.46 |
| Total project cost | 1,042.69 |
Term loan at 10.5% with a 6-month moratorium and 54 monthly instalments. All figures are illustrative.
Activated acid washed granules carbon manufacturing process
The plant buys coconut shell charcoal, activates it with steam and then cleans the graded granules in acid. Roughly 2–3 kg of charcoal goes into each kg of finished carbon, depending on how active the grade must be.
- Charcoal sizing
Shell charcoal is crushed and screened to the size the kiln takes, and dust is removed before it can burn off as waste.
- Steam activation
In a rotary kiln at about 850–950 degrees Celsius, steam burns away part of the carbon and opens the fine pores that do the adsorbing.
- Crushing and grading
Roll crushers break the activated carbon, and vibrating screens split it into mesh grades such as 4x8, 8x16 and 12x40.
- Acid washing
Graded granules are soaked or circulated in dilute hydrochloric acid, which dissolves ash minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron.
- Rinsing and neutralising
Granules are rinsed until the wash water is close to neutral pH; spent acid and rinse water go to the effluent plant for neutralising with lime.
- Drying, testing and packing
A rotary dryer brings moisture down, each lot is tested for iodine value, ash, moisture and pH, and granules are packed in moisture-proof bags.
Why acid wash granular activated carbon, and which plant route to choose
Steam-activated coconut shell carbon keeps a few percent of mineral ash. Much of it is soluble, so a new filter bed can push potassium and calcium into treated water, lift its pH or release iron that stains. Acid washing removes most of that soluble ash, which is why water, food and pharma buyers write "acid washed" into their specifications.
Iodine value, the milligrams of iodine one gram of carbon adsorbs, is the usual measure of activity. Washing does not raise it much; it changes purity, not pore volume. So the plant still has to hit the activity grade in the kiln and then meet the ash and pH limits in the wash.
There are two ways to set up. An integrated plant activates its own carbon and then washes it, as in our sample. A smaller wash-only unit buys activated granules and runs just the acid washing, rinsing, drying and grading steps. It avoids the kiln and boiler, but its margin depends on the price gap between unwashed and washed carbon.
The kiln decides the economics: in our sample the activation kiln and waste heat boiler together cost ₹234.88 lakh, about 44% of all plant and machinery. A wash-only unit trades that saving for a thinner margin per kg.
Raw materials: coconut shell charcoal and hydrochloric acid
Raw materials are 52.3% of sales in the sample. Shell charcoal comes mainly from the coconut belt of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Its price moves with the coconut harvest, so plants agree supply with several charcoal makers and test each lot for ash and moisture.
| Raw material | Share of cost | Year 3 (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut shell charcoal | 88% | 838.95 |
| Hydrochloric acid | 9% | 85.80 |
| Lime and neutralising chemicals | 3% | 28.60 |
| Total | 100% | 953.35 |
Machinery for an acid washed granular carbon plant
The acid section is built from rubber-lined or FRP tanks, pumps and pipework, because hydrochloric acid attacks plain steel. Its tanks and storage are the second-largest machinery item in the sample.
| Machine | What it does | Sample cost (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Rotary steam activation kiln with afterburner | Activates the charcoal and burns off kiln gases | 170.82 |
| Waste heat boiler and steam system | Raises activation steam from kiln exhaust heat | 64.06 |
| Jaw and roll crushers | Size the charcoal feed and the activated granules | 37.37 |
| Vibrating screens and graders | Split granules into mesh grades | 37.37 |
| Acid washing and rinsing tanks with acid storage | Wash, rinse and hold acid safely | 74.74 |
| Rotary dryer | Dries washed granules to target moisture | 48.04 |
| Acid fume scrubber and effluent treatment plant | Captures acid fumes and treats wash water | 53.38 |
| Quality control laboratory | Tests iodine value, ash, moisture and pH | 21.35 |
| Bagging machine and conveyors | Moves and packs finished carbon | 26.69 |
| Total plant and machinery | 533.82 | |
Costs are the sample report's estimates for a 5,300 kg per day plant. Get current quotations before you finalise.
Manpower for a 5,300 kg per day plant
The kiln runs round the clock, and the sample staffs the plant with 58 people. Kiln operators who can hold temperature and steam rate steady matter most, since they set both yield and activity.
| Category | Number | Monthly wage (₹) | Year 1 cost (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management, supervision and administration | 9 | 32,500 | 35.10 |
| Skilled workers and operators | 20 | 20,500 | 49.20 |
| Semi-skilled and unskilled workers | 29 | 13,500 | 46.98 |
| Total | 58 | 131.28 |
Power and fuel in the sample are ₹108.65 lakh in Year 3, or 6% of sales, with activation steam raised in the waste heat boiler.
Licences, standards and pollution category
| Business registration | Udyam (MSME) registration and GST registration |
|---|---|
| Pollution category | The CPCB classification of January 2025 lists activated carbon manufacturing with steam activation as Orange. Consent to establish and to operate comes from the State Pollution Control Board. |
| Effluent and emissions | Acid wash water is neutralised and treated before discharge, and acid fumes pass through a scrubber; both are conditions the state board checks |
| Product standard | IS 2752:2025, the fourth revision of the BIS specification for granular activated carbons. The BIS listing shows no mandatory certification for it as of October 2026. |
| Hazardous chemicals | Hydrogen chloride is listed under the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989. Confirm with the factories inspectorate which duties apply to your acid storage. |
| Factory and fire | Factory licence where worker thresholds apply, and fire NOC for the kiln and charcoal stores; rules vary by state |
Who buys acid washed granular activated carbon?
Buyers pay for washed granules when ash, iron or alkali would spoil what they treat. They approve a supplier only after trial lots meet their iodine value, ash and pH limits, and then tend to stay with that supplier.
- Water purifier and filter cartridge makers
- Municipal and industrial water treatment contractors
- Sugar, edible oil and beverage processors
- Pharmaceutical and fine chemical manufacturers
- Gold recovery plants using carbon-in-pulp circuits
- Activated carbon exporters and traders
Approval comes before volume: plan for several months of trial lots with each large buyer. The sample allows 45 days of customer credit, which makes receivables the largest part of working capital.
Mistakes that weaken an activated acid washed granules carbon project report
- Costing charcoal per kg of input, not output
Activation burns off much of the charcoal. Raw material cost must be worked out per kg of finished carbon, or profit looks far too high.
- Selling every kg at the granular price
Crushing and screening make fines that sell as cheaper powder. Revenue should split granules and fines by grade.
- Leaving out the effluent plant and scrubber
The state board will not grant consent without them. In the sample they cost ₹53.38 lakh, about 10% of machinery.
- Pricing in the acid wash premium without buyer specs
Lenders want to see which buyers need the washed grade and what ash and pH limits they set, before they accept the higher price.
- Short working capital for trial periods
Buyer approval and credit stretch the cash cycle. Too small a cash credit limit leaves the plant short in its first year.
How NPCS helps you plan an acid washed carbon plant
- Route and capacityCompare an integrated activation plant with a wash-only unit for your budget and charcoal supply.
- Grade and buyer mixSet the mesh grades, ash targets and fines handling that match the buyers you plan to serve.
- Bank-ready project reportProjections, DSCR, break-even and working capital in the format your lender expects.
- Approvals and plant layoutLayout for the kiln, acid section and effluent plant, and the consent list for your state.
NPCS's client list records 269 assignments in specialty chemicals, and the NPCS project team has prepared reports for chemical plants in India and abroad since 1994.
What's inside the activated acid washed granules carbon sample report
- Introduction
- Uses and applications
- Market potential
- Manufacturing process
- Raw materials
- Plant and machinery
- Land, building and utilities
- Manpower
- Licences and approvals
- Project cost and means of finance
- Working capital
- Projected profitability
- Cash flow statement
- Projected balance sheet
- Depreciation
- Term loan repayment
- Debt service coverage
- Break-even analysis
- Financial ratios
- Key assumptions
- Conclusion
- Monthly loan repayment schedule
18 pages, five-year projections, illustrative figures.
Open sample reportFree sample or a report for your project?
| What you get | Free sample | NPCS report for your project |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and location | Typical unit | Your capacity, site and state |
| Figures | Illustrative | Built on current prices and quotations |
| Machinery suppliers and quotations | No | Yes |
| Market survey for your region | No | Yes |
| Bank or scheme format (PMEGP, term loan) | No | Yes |
| Use for a loan application | No | Yes |
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Activated Acid Washed Granules Carbon project report: frequently asked questions
How much does an activated acid washed granules carbon plant cost in India?
Our sample report models a 5,300 kg per day plant at a total project cost of ₹1,042.69 lakh. That includes ₹533.82 lakh of plant and machinery and ₹60.48 lakh of working capital margin. Your cost moves with kiln size, whether you activate charcoal yourself or only wash bought-in carbon, land and the effluent plant your pollution board asks for.
What raw materials are needed to make acid washed granular activated carbon?
Coconut shell charcoal is the main input, at 88% of raw material cost in our sample. Hydrochloric acid for washing makes up 9%, and lime and other neutralising chemicals 3%. Steam comes from a waste heat boiler fired by the kiln exhaust, and the plant also needs clean water for rinsing.
Why is granular activated carbon washed with acid?
Acid washing dissolves ash minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron left in the carbon after activation. Without it, a fresh filter bed can release these into water, raise its pH or stain it. Water purifier makers, food and beverage processors and pharmaceutical plants usually specify a low-ash, acid washed grade for this reason.
Which machines are needed for an acid washed activated carbon plant?
The activation side needs a rotary steam kiln with afterburner, a waste heat boiler, jaw and roll crushers and vibrating screens. The washing side needs acid washing and rinsing tanks, a rotary dryer, an acid fume scrubber with an effluent plant, a quality control laboratory and a bagging line. The kiln is the largest single cost in our sample.
Is acid washed activated carbon manufacturing profitable?
In our illustrative sample the plant earns a net profit of ₹178.12 lakh on sales of ₹1,824.21 lakh in Year 3. That is a 17.1% return on investment, with break-even at 43.2% of capacity. Real profit depends on charcoal prices, activation yield, the premium buyers pay for the washed grade and how much fines the crushers make.
Which pollution category applies to an activated carbon plant?
The Central Pollution Control Board classification of January 2025 lists activated carbon manufacturing with steam activation in the Orange category. You need consent to establish and consent to operate from your State Pollution Control Board, and the acid wash water must be neutralised and treated before discharge. Confirm the category with your state board before you buy land.
Is the activated acid washed granules carbon project report PDF free, and can I use it for a loan?
The sample PDF is free to view and download. It shows the format and depth of an NPCS report, but its figures are representative and not from a real project. Do not submit it to a bank. For a loan, NPCS prepares a report for your own capacity, location and lender.
Sources and references
- IS 2752:2025 Activated carbons, granular: Specification (fourth revision)Bureau of Indian Standards, checked Oct 2026
- Classification of sectors into Red, Orange, Green, White and Blue categories (January 2025)Central Pollution Control Board, hosted by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, checked Oct 2026
- Revised categorisation of industries (R/O/G/W/B)Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, checked Oct 2026
- Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989Punjab Pollution Control Board, checked Oct 2026
The NPCS project team, led by Ajay Kumar Gupta
This page and its sample report are prepared and reviewed by the NPCS project team, which has written techno-economic feasibility studies and detailed project reports since 1994.
Ajay Kumar Gupta founded Niir Project Consultancy Services (NPCS) and leads the organisation. With 40 years of experience in MSME project consulting, he has built the team that has delivered more than 28,000 project reports for clients worldwide, helping entrepreneurs plan and finance profitable manufacturing businesses.
- Published
- Last updated
- Next review
- Oct 2027
- Reviewed by
- NPCS project team
This page is reviewed every 12 months, or sooner when scheme limits, GST rates, BIS rules or pollution categories change. The sample report is illustrative: its figures are generated from industry-typical ratios for a unit of this size, checked so every statement balances, and are not taken from any client project.