CM Sonowal at NRL
Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal is in a review meeting to take stock of the expansion plan of the NRL at the NRL complex in Numaligarh on Wednesday.

The Bio Refinery Plant, which is being executed by the NRL, with a project cost of Rs. 1,750 crore, will use 5 lakh MT bamboo per annum as raw material.

Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) managing director S.K. Barua informed Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal during the latter’s visit to the plant at Numaligarh in Golaghat district on Wednesday.

Barua also told the chief minister that the bio refinery plant will produce 49,000 MT ethanol per annum as the main product.

The NRL managing director also informed the chief minister that the expansion project, which involves the capacity enhancement of the refinery from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA with project cost of Rs. 22,594 crore, is being carried out with completion time of 48 months.

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Moreover, consultancy job has already been awarded and 200 acres land has been taken on lease at Paradeep Port for laying crude pipeline connecting Numaligarh.

Other major bioproducts from this plant will include acetic acid and furfural besides the production of biodegradable plastic out of furfural in collaboration with IIT Guwahati.

The plant is scheduled to be commissioned by December 2021, he informed.

For the successful implementation of the project, the NRL managing director made several requests to the chief minister and sought his help on issues related to forest, PWD, and security related matters.

The chief minister assured of looking into all the requests positively so that the NRL can continue to be a leading force in the industrial landscape of the state.

Assam agriculture minister Atul Bora, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Mrinal Saikia, Rosleena  Tirki and Bimal Bora, the DC and SP of Golaghat district, district officers of PWD and forest as well as senior officials of NRL were present in the review meeting.

Besides, the chief minister lauded the NRL authority for regularly making monthly payments to its workers to the tune of Rs. 1.20 crore during the ongoing lockdown period and also setting up a dormitory for migrant workers.

The chief minister assured the NRL authorities to extend all needful support for the timely completion of the expansion project and the bio-fuel plant and smooth operation of the refinery.