Guwahati: Numaligarh Refinery Limited’s (NRL) bamboo-based second-generation (2G) ethanol plant has successfully produced 2G ethanol and is now undergoing stabilisation before commercial production and higher capacity utilisation, Oil India Limited Chairman and Managing Director and NRL Chairman Ranjit Rath said, ANI reported.
Speaking to ANI in Guwahati, Rath said individual units at the plant were being tested for full utilisation as NRL worked to improve operational efficiency and develop other products, including acetic acid.
NRL’s objective is not limited to producing 2G ethanol, Rath said, adding that the company plans to stabilise the process, manufacture all planned products and then move towards commercial-scale production and optimal capacity utilisation.
The plant uses bamboo as its primary feedstock, with NRL developing a supply chain involving farmers and local entrepreneurs in Assam. Rath described the facility as unique, saying it is the first-of-its-kind 2G ethanol plant to use bamboo as feedstock.
NRL has distributed bamboo saplings and is working with farmers and local entrepreneurs who will supply bamboo and bamboo chips to the facility. Rath said the feedstock collection network was already in place while the plant continued its stabilisation process.
The project is also expected to create an additional source of income for local farmers. Rath estimated that the engagement with the local farming community could generate around ₹200 crore a year for farmers.
Meanwhile, NRL is expanding its refinery capacity from 3 million metric tonnes per annum to 9 million metric tonnes per annum. Rath said the expansion projects were progressing as planned, with commissioning targeted by March 31, 2027. The expanded refinery is expected to take about another year to stabilise and reach its maximum potential.
Alongside the refinery expansion, NRL is implementing a 360-kilotonne-per-annum polypropylene project involving an investment of around ₹7,000–8,000 crore. The company is also developing additional petroleum product terminals to support product evacuation and market access after the expanded refinery becomes operational.
Rath said NRL’s strategy through 2030 would focus on consolidating its expanded refining capacity, broadening its product portfolio and advancing diversification initiatives.
He said downstream industries linked to the polypropylene unit and refinery would emerge around NRL, strengthening its role as an anchor player in the development of the Northeast.
The company also plans to develop a broader hydrocarbon ecosystem in the region, while its longer-term strategy is still being worked out.
