India’s first bamboo-based bio-refinery, located at Numaligarh in Assam’s Golaghat district, is set for inauguration on September 14, 2025. The project, a joint venture between Numaligarh Refinery Limited and Chempolis Oy of Finland, has a total cost of ₹7,200 crore. This facility is poised to significantly impact the local economy and India’s sustainable energy goals.

The refinery will process 5 lakh tonnes of bamboo annually, a raw material sourced directly from approximately 3,000 farmers across Assam. This partnership is projected to generate annual transactions of nearly ₹200 crore for the local community. The operation is designed to be carbon-negative, contributing to India’s broader climate action and energy security policies. The facility is expected to be operational by December 2025.

From the bamboo feedstockFeedstock refers to the raw organic material used to produce biochar. This can include a wide range of materials, such as wood chips, agricultural residues, and animal manure. More, the plant will produce a range of valuable products, including 50,000 tonnes of ethanol, 18,000 tonnes of furfural, and 11,000 tonnes of acetic acid per year. A key output of the refining process is biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More, which is produced from residual biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More. This material will be utilised to generate 25 MW of green power for the refinery’s own operations, with 5 MW being supplied to the broader power grid.

The project aligns with the Indian government’s “National Policy on Biofuels” and the “Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana,” which aims to support advanced biofuel projects. Furthermore, Numaligarh Refinery Limited is also collaborating with IIT Guwahati on a separate pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More project to produce biochar from bamboo waste, a move that supports local biotechnology startups and expands the production of formic acid. The initiative is a notable example of a zero-waste process, which is becoming a more common practice in the industry, where every byproduct is utilized to create additional value streams.

SOURCE: PM to Inaugurate Numaligarh Bamboo Bio-Refinery; Fueling Green Growth