Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s largest bamboo-based ethanol plant in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district on September 14. The Rs. 5,000-crore bioethanol facility has been set up by Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL). NRL is banking on a steady supply of two types of bamboo to operate its bioethanol plant at optimal capacity.
Officials said the plant will rely on two bamboo species—balco (Bambusa balcooa) and tulda (Bambusa tulda), sourced from at least three northeastern States to run smoothly.
Apart from 48,900 metric tonnes of ethanol, the bioethanol plant has been designed to yield 11,000 tonnes of acetic acid per annum, 19,000 tonnes of furfural from raw bamboo stock per annum, and 31,000 metric tonnes of food-grade liquid carbon dioxide.
NRL Chairman Ranjit Rath, who is also Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India Limited (OIL), highlighted the role of local farmers and entrepreneurs. “Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya together have bamboo cover of more than 10,000 sq. km. We have created a supply chain of farmers and bamboo-chipping units within 300 km of the plant to ensure steady feedstock,” he said after the refinery’s 32nd annual general meeting on September 16.
Explaining the choice of bamboo species, NRL Managing Director Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan said, “Balco and tulda are ideal when they are three-and-a-half years old because of their high cellulose content, which is crucial for producing fuel-grade bioethanol.”
Ahead of the plant’s establishment, NRL distributed bamboo saplings to farmers in Assam free of cost. “Each sapling costs Rs. 27 in the market, but we provided them at no cost by engaging start-ups to grow them through tissue culture,” Phukan said. Farmers now earn Rs. 65-70 per bamboo pole, either by supplying directly or through chipping units set up near the refinery.
