Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ₹5,000‑crore Assam Bio‑Ethanol Private Limited facility in Golaghat on September 14, described by officials as a zero‑waste, bamboo‑based plant.
- NRL projects annual output of about 48,900 tonnes of ethanol plus 11,000 tonnes of acetic acid, 19,000 tonnes of furfural and 31,000 tonnes of food‑grade liquid CO₂.
- Operations will rely on balco (Bambusa balcooa) and tulda (Bambusa tulda) selected for high cellulose content at roughly 3.5 years, with sourcing centered within a 250–300 km radius via farmers and local chipping units.
- Around 60 lakh saplings have been distributed free to growers, farmers are set to receive roughly ₹65–₹70 per pole with digital payments, and the initiative is expected to return about ₹200 crore to the local economy.
- The plant sits next to NRL’s refinery that is being expanded from 3 to 9 MMTPA, Oil India holds nearly a 70% stake, and a 360 KTPA polypropylene unit has had its foundation stone laid as NRL reports a 25% rise in net worth alongside margin‑pressured profits.