PM Modi inaugurates India’s first bamboo-based ethanol plant in Assam

GUWAHATI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (September 14, 2025) underscored the need for India to be self-sufficient in energy after inaugurating the country’s first bamboo-based ethanol plant in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district.

He also laid the foundation stone for a ₹7,230-crore polypropylene plant at the Numaligarh Refinery. The project will be established near the ₹5,000-crore bioethanol plant, a “zero-waste” facility described as the world’s first to produce ethanol from green bamboo.

Terming the bioethanol plant a step toward ensuring energy security, Mr. Modi said the facility aims to promote clean energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

“Assam is a land that supports India’s energy efficiency. The petroleum products from Assam are boosting the pace of development in India. The BJP government is trying to take this capacity of Assam to a new level,” he said at a public event.

“India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world now. Our energy needs have been increasing with our Viksit Bharat dream. We spend crores of rupees on imports as we are dependent on other countries for energy. We want to change this by trying to achieve self-sufficiency in energy,” the Prime Minister said.

“While we are focusing on hydrocarbon exploration, we are also laying stress on green energy like solar,” he said, highlighting the country’s national deep-water exploration mission to look for hydrocarbons under the sea.

Referring to the bioethanol plant, Mr. Modi said it would benefit local farmers and tribal communities. “The government will help them grow and procure the products to ensure a win-win situation,” he said.

He criticised the erstwhile Congress governments for penalising people for cutting bamboo, which was earlier categorised as a tree. “Our government removed the ban on bamboo cutting. You all can see how this decision is helping the locals in this part of the country,” he said.

Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) officials said five lakh tonnes of green bamboo would be sourced annually from four northeastern States, including Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, to produce 48,900 metric tonnes of ethanol, 11,000 tonnes of acetic acid, 19,000 tonnes of furfural, and 31,000 metric tonnes of food-grade liquid carbon dioxide.

A joint venture of NRL and Finland’s Fortum and Chempolis OY, the bioethanol plant is expected to give a ₹200-crore boost to Assam’s rural economy.