The plant is a joint venture of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Finland’s Fortum and Chempolis OY and will produce bioethanol from bamboo.
- Bamboo is an attractive feedstock for production of bioethanol, as it is a non-food crop and contains a high lignocellulose content, making it promising source of second-generation biofuels.
About Bio-Ethanol
- Bioethanol is ethanol produced from renewable biological sources like food crops and agricultural waste.
- Ethanol is a clear colourless liquid, is biodegradable and burns to produce carbon dioxide and water.
- Sources: According to National Policy on Biofuels 2018, Bioethanol is ethanol produced from biomass such as:
- Sugar containing materials, like sugar cane, sugar beet, sweet sorghum etc.;
- Starch containing materials such as corn, cassava, rotten potatoes, agrofood / pulp industry waste, algae etc.; and,
- Cellulosic materials such as bagasse, wood waste, agricultural and forestry residues or other renewable resources like industrial waste, vegetable wastes etc.
- Applications: Bioethanol is mainly used as a fuel (pure ethanol fuel (E100) or blended with petrol (E10 or E20)), production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and bio-based materials like bioplastics.
- Advantages: Biodegradable, renewable energy source, reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, and reduces air pollution.
