Global technology group ANDRITZ has supplied the key raw material handling and preparation systems for the world’s first facility producing fuel-grade ethanol from bamboo biomass, helping support India’s drive to increase domestic bioethanol production and reduce reliance on imported crude oil.
Operated by Assam Bio Ethanol Private Limited (ABEPL), the second-generation bioethanol plant in Numaligarh, Assam, was inaugurated in September 2025 and is designed to produce 49,000 metric tonnes of ethanol annually, alongside furfural, acetic acid, food-grade liquid CO₂ and green power.
As part of the project, ANDRITZ supplied all major processing equipment for bamboo preparation, including chippers, screens, re-chippers, conveyors and a screw reclaimer.
The company also provided structural design, chip-storage silos, electrification, plant control systems, and installation and commissioning support.
The facility was developed in response to India’s ambitious biofuel blending programme, which has progressively increased ethanol blending targets in petrol from 5% to 20%.
To achieve full capacity, the plant will require approximately 500,000 metric tonnes of bamboo annually, sourced through dedicated plantations and a network of regional farmers and entrepreneurs. During trial operations, the plant produced fuel-grade ethanol with a purity of 99.7%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the processing technology.
The facility has been designed as a closed-loop operation that maximises the use of by-products, with recovered chemicals reused within the process and biomass residues utilised to generate electricity and process steam.
The site is capable of producing 25.6 MW of renewable power, with surplus energy potentially exported to the grid.
Arun Chidambaram, project manager at ANDRITZ feed and biofuel, said the project highlights the company’s expertise in biomass processing and its commitment to supporting sustainable energy production.
He added that the end-to-end engineered solution delivers operational reliability while contributing to India’s clean energy ambitions.
