India’s First Bamboo-based Ethanol Plant

Inauguration

• By: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

• Golaghat facility billed as world’s first green bamboo bioethanol plant

• Facility: Assam Bio-Ethanol Private Ltd. (ABEL), Numaligarh Refinery Plant

Significance

• World’s first green bamboo bioethanol plant

• Part of India’s clean energy and energy self-sufficiency strategy.

• Coincided with the foundation stone laying for a ₹7,230-crore polypropylene project at Numaligarh Refinery.

Plant Features

• Cost: ₹5,000 crore

• Capacity:

  • 48,900 tonnes of ethanol annually

  • 11,000 tonnes of acetic acid

  • 19,000 tonnes of furfural

  • 31,000 tonnes of food-grade liquid CO₂

• Raw material: 5 lakh tonnes of green bamboo per year, sourced from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and other NE states.

• Technology: Joint venture of Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL), Finland’s Fortum and Chempolis OY.

• “zero-waste” facility described as the world’s first to produce ethanol from green bamboo.

• "Bamboo will contribute to carbon sequestration during its growth and due to non-burning of fossil fuels, carbon emission will be drastically reduced. Use of bamboo for ethanol production also serves to conserve ground water. 
• Unlike sugarcane, the most common material currently used to manufacture ethanol, bamboo requires only one fifth of water compared to water required for growing sugarcane,".

Economic & Social Impact

• Expected to give a ₹200-crore boost to Assam’s rural economy.

• Will benefit local farmers and tribal communities:

  • Govt. to support bamboo cultivation and procurement.

  • Promotes sustainable livelihoods in NE states.

• Aligns with Make in India & Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

 Broader Energy Context

• Reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels.

• Complements India’s focus on:

  • Hydrocarbon exploration (deep-water mission)

  • Renewables (solar, biofuels)

• Bamboo reclassified from “tree” to “grass” (2017), easing restrictions on felling and transport.