India’s Largest Bio-Refinery Completed in Golaghat, PM Modi to Inaugrate Soon

The country’s first and largest bio-refinery project has been completed at Numaligarh, Golaghat, and is now awaiting formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September. Built under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Assam Bio-Refinery Project is a landmark addition to the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), established as part of the historic Assam Accord.

Spread across 34 acres, the project has been built at a cost of ₹4,000 crore. Prime Minister Modi had laid its foundation stone on February 9, 2019, and after years of work, the refinery is finally ready.

The refinery will require five lakh tonnes of bamboo annually, sourced from farmers across the Northeast, to produce:

• Ethanol – 49,000 metric tonnes per year

• Furfural – 19,000 metric tonnes per year

• Acetic Acid – 11,000 metric tonnes per year

• Liquid CO₂ – 32,000 metric tonnes per year

• Power generation – 25 MW annually

The project is expected to inject over ₹200 crore into the rural economy every year, directly and indirectly benefitting bamboo cultivators, suppliers, and transporters.

In its first phase, nearly 30,000 farmers and 3,500 unemployed youth will be engaged through supply chains and ancillary services. The refinery will also contribute to a reduction in crude oil imports, promoting cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions.

Officials highlighted that this bio-refinery will not only make Assam a hub of green energy but also revitalise the rural economy by creating large-scale livelihood opportunities.

With the project nearing inauguration, Golaghat is set to become the epicentre of India’s renewable energy revolution.

Also Read: PM Modi to Inaugurate Rs 4,000 Cr Bamboo Bio-Refinery in Assam; CM Reviews Progress