Overview

• The Rs 5,000 crore biorefinery at Numaligarh will convert about 5 lakh tonnes of bamboo a year into roughly 49,000 tonnes of ethanol plus byproducts such as acetic acid, furfural and food‑grade CO2.
• Developed by Numaligarh Refinery Limited in a joint venture with Finland’s Fortum and Chempolis and operated by Assam Bio Ethanol Private Limited, the facility is presented as ready for commercial operation.
• Officials describe the plant as a zero‑waste operation and in some accounts the world’s first 2G ethanol facility using bamboo feedstock.
• NRL says bamboo will be procured from four northeastern states with an estimated Rs 200 crore flowing annually to the rural economy, benefiting over 50,000 people through farming and supply‑chain work.
• Alongside the inauguration, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for a Rs 7,230 crore polypropylene/cracker project rated at 360 KTPA and targeted for 2028, framing the initiatives within a drive to cut oil and gas imports and expand green energy and exploration.