India has unveiled the world’s first bamboo-based second-generation ethanol plant, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) unit on Sunday. The PM had earlier laid the foundation stone for the NRL Bio Refinery at Numaligarh on February 9, 2019.
The Rs 5,000-crore facility is a milestone for Assam and the broader north-east, a region rich in bamboo, and marks a leap in India’s pursuit of sustainable fuels. The plant, which achieves zero waste by utilising all parts of bamboo, produces high-value industrial chemicals such as green furfural and green acetic acid, food-grade carbon dioxide (CO₂), bio-coal, and 25 MW of green electricity.
“Experts suggest that our oceans hold significant reserves of oil and gas. To identify and utilise these resources effectively, we are launching the National Deep Water Exploration Mission. Simultaneously, India is making remarkable progress in the field of green energy and sustainable power generation. While the country lagged behind in solar power production just a decade ago, it has now risen to rank among the top five nations globally in this sector,” Modi said at the event.
Highlighting Assam’s role in India’s energy landscape, the PM added, “Assam is the land that enhances India's energy capacity. Petroleum products produced here accelerate the country's development. The BJP, NDA government is committed to taking Assam's strength to new heights.”
Also read: Ethanol saved India’s sugar industry, asserts Gadkari
Pointing to the benefits of ethanol, he said, “One such alternative is ethanol. Today, a plant to make ethanol from bamboo has been started here. This will be of great benefit to the farmers of Assam...” Modi further noted that bamboo cultivation would receive government support, with an estimated Rs 200 crore spent annually to assist local farmers and purchase bamboo, benefiting thousands in the region.
Alongside the ethanol plant, Modi also laid the foundation stone for a Rs 7,000-crore polypropylene facility, expected to cut India’s import dependency by 20 per cent. Union Minister Hardeep Puri tweeted, “It will generate foreign exchange savings of USD 85 million every year and create employment equivalent to 75,000 man-days annually. These projects, together worth over Rs 12,000 crores, position Assam and the North-east at the centre of the global green energy and petrochemical landscape. These reflect PM Modi Ji's love and dedication for the people of Assam and the North-East, and his commitment towards net zero and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
Numaligarh Refinery Limited, incorporated on April 22, 1993, is a Schedule ‘A’ Miniratna Category-I CPSE with a 3 MMTPA refinery in Golaghat district. Oil India Ltd, which holds a 69.63 per cent stake, is the promoter and manages NRL. The Government of Assam and Engineers India Ltd hold 26 per cent and 4.37 per cent, respectively.
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