# Starch and cellulose derivatives: Emissions

Maize farms, steam and allocation set the footprint

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies.

Per t of native maize starch, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative. Global total: not published.

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | maize farming emissions shared with co-products (maize tile) | – | fertiliser N2O, diesel, irrigation | low Indian maize yields of 3.54 t/ha raise emissions per tonne (maize tile) | maize tile |
| **Production / process** | not published | – | steeping, drying (flash and ring dryers), evaporation; coal or biomass boilers in India |  | indicative |
| **Movement** | small | – | truck and container |  | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | eaten, or incorporated in paper and textiles |  | not applicable |
| **End of life** | biogenic CO2 or methane from landfilled paper and food waste | – | biodegradable |  | indicative |

#### Other environmental impacts

High water use and high-strength wastewater from wet milling and cassava starch; odour; cassava pulp disposal.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Biogas from wastewater and cassava pulp
- Biomass or electric boilers replacing coal
- Mechanical vapour recompression in evaporators (indicative)
- Lower-carbon maize through better yields and fertiliser use

#### India

India's starch plants are a ready base for bio-based chemicals; the footprint depends on maize yields and on replacing coal-fired steam (indicative).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Starch-based bioplastics and fermentation chemicals** | product-specific (see PLA and amino acid tiles) | varies | Gujarat Ambuja sodium gluconate (2025); Balrampur PLA from sugar | Business Standard 2025; PLA tile |

 For a climate investor Starch is the sugar platform for India's bio-based chemicals: the same wet mills could feed amino acids, organic acids, polyols and PLA that India now imports. Gujarat Ambuja's 30 kt sodium gluconate plant and 120 kt target by 2028 show the move downstream. What has to be true: stable maize supply despite ethanol demand, cleaner steam, and products where Indian cost can match Chinese fermentation plants.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/links/index.md)