Ethanol production from Assam biorefinery expected to start soon
Oil India Ltd expects its Assam refinery, operated by subsidiary Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), to reach an expanded capacity of 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) by March 2027. The current 60,000 bpd capacity is being upgraded, along with a crude oil pipeline linking the refinery to Paradip Port. NRL also plans to begin producing ethanol from bamboo feedstock by September.
State-run explorer Oil India Ltd anticipates operating its refinery in Assam at an expanded capacity of 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the fiscal year ending in March 2027, Chairman Ranjit Rath announced on Saturday, reported Reuters.
Oil India’s subsidiary, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), is increasing the plant’s capacity from the current 60,000 bpd and constructing a crude oil pipeline that will link the refinery to Paradip Port in the eastern state of Odisha, Rath added.
“Both projects are on track and are expected to be completed by December 2025,” he stated at a press conference.
The company plans to import around 110,000 bpd of crude oil for processing at the expanded refinery.
Oil India aims to invest 250 billion rupees ($3 billion) by 2030 across various projects, including those focused on clean energy.
As per media report, additionally, NRL is developing a 50,000 tons per year biorefinery to produce ethanol from bamboo feedstock. Rath noted that ethanol production from the Assam biorefinery is expected to commence by the end of September.
In addition to supplying fuel to the northeastern region of India, NRL also exports diesel to Bangladesh via a pipeline with a capacity of 1 million tons per year. Rath confirmed that diesel supplies to Bangladesh have not been disrupted despite the ongoing political crisis in the state.
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