Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Assam on September 8, 2025, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been actively inspecting the Numaligarh Bio-Refinery, a flagship project poised to significantly boost the region's green energy initiatives and economic growth. The Prime Minister is expected to dedicate the bio-ethanol plant to the nation during his visit.
The Numaligarh Bio-Refinery, built by Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) at a cost of ₹4,200 crore, is India's first bamboo-based bio-refinery. The project, for which PM Modi laid the foundation stone in 2019, will produce ethanol from bamboo, marking a significant stride in the country's renewable energy sector. NRL expects to commission its 2G bio-refinery within the next two months. A trial run of the bio-refinery was conducted successfully in December 2024, during which ethanol was produced from bamboo feedstock. The bio-refinery is expected to be commissioned in June or July this year.
The bio-refinery is designed to produce 49 kilotonnes per annum (KTPA) of ethanol, along with byproducts like furfural, acetic acid, carbon dioxide, and bio-coal. The ethanol produced will be supplied to Numaligarh Refinery Limited for blending with Motor Spirit (petrol). Other products like furfural, acetic acid, and carbon dioxide are planned for sale in the open market. Bio-coal will be used within the bio-refinery for electricity generation and process steam.
The project is being implemented by Assam Bio Ethanol Private Limited (ABEPL), a joint venture company with NRL as the major stakeholder. NRL has partnered with Finnish companies Fortum and Chempolis Oy in this venture. The bio-refinery will utilize 300,000 metric tons of bamboo annually as feedstock. The plant will use 5 lakh MT bamboo per annum as raw material. The Northeastern region's agro-climatic conditions are well-suited for bamboo growth. The region has 52,491 sq km of bamboo forests with 178.6 million metric tonnes of bamboo biomass.
In addition to inaugurating the bio-refinery, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the ₹7,500 crore Guwahati Ring Road project, including a major bridge across the Brahmaputra River connecting Narengi and Kuruwa. The Assam government will bear 50% of the land acquisition cost, along with GST and forest royalty waivers. Assam's total contribution will exceed ₹1,000 crore, while the central government will contribute ₹3,000 crore under viability gap funding.
PM Modi's visit will also coincide with the inaugural session of Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika's 100th birth anniversary celebrations. CM Sarma has proposed issuing a commemorative coin in Hazarika's name and has requested the Union Finance Ministry and the RBI to consider the proposal. The state government has planned a year-long cultural program and has sought to involve all Northeast chief ministers in a unified tribute.
Furthermore, Sarma announced a ₹10,600 crore investment to establish the fourth unit of the Namrup fertilizer plant under a new entity, Assam Fertilizer and Chemical Co. Ltd. The Assam government will hold a 40% stake in the new entity. The plant is expected to produce 12.5 lakh tonnes of urea annually, potentially increasing to 15.7 lakh tonnes if merged with the existing BVFCL.
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) was dedicated to the nation on July 9, 1999. The refinery has an initial refining capacity of three million metric tons per year. The refinery is undergoing an expansion to increase its refining capacity to six million metric tons per year. The plan to further increase the refining capacity to nine million metric tons per year has already received approval from the central government, with an investment of Rs 33,901 crore. The refinery's expansion work has progressed beyond 88% and is expected to be completed by December this year.
