Bioethanol Plant in Numaligarh Achieves 99.7% Purity, Set for PM Modi’s Inauguration

Numaligarh Refinery Limited’s (NRL) bamboo-based bioethanol plant has successfully achieved 99.7% purified ethanol, marking a breakthrough in second-generation (2G) ethanol production technology. The facility, which converts bamboo biomass into ethanol, is the first of its kind in the world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the plant on September 14, during his visit to Assam. The Numaligarh-based facility, developed by the joint venture company - Assam Bio Ethanol Pvt Ltd (ABEPL), promoted by NRL, will process 3,00,000 tons of bamboo per annum to produce around 50,000 tons of fuel-grade ethanol, besides co-products like furfural, acetic acid, bio-coal and green energy.

The project is touted as a game-changer for Northeast India with over 50,000 beneficiaries in the bamboo supply chain. Officials say that the plant is self-reliant in power with 25 MW captive power production and is designed as a zero-waste operation.

The ethanol plant is also seen as a strategic push to strengthen India’s E20 blending program and to anchor Japan’s clean energy footprint in the Northeast, making the project a pioneering venture indeed.

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