Is Bamboo the Next Great Source of Biofuel?

By Bamboo Grove on June 28, 2018

Indian oil companies are looking for biofuels to mix in with their oil. In this case, they’re looking for non-molasses sources of biofuel. This is where our favorite tropical grassy plant can help out. Indian companies are looking to bamboo for the next great source of biofuel.

A $200 million venture between Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. and Finnish company, Chemopolis Oy has been put into place. The task is to crush bamboo to produce 60 million litres of ethanol every year in the state of Assam. This massive number is enough to meet the requirements for blending with gasoline for the entire northeastern region. Bamboo was picked as a fuel source because it grows just about everywhere in the country. This readily available resource will be a game changer for the country.

Incredibly rapid growth in Indian oil consumption has lead to demand from the government to do everything possible to keep up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has even mandated sewer water being looked into as a potential source of fuel blending agent. This also ties in with the government mandate to try and reduce the nations energy imports 10 percent by 2022. This resulting pressure has made it possible for the nations biofuel industry to explode into a $15 billion market by 2020.

While the initiative is well in place, the use of blended fuels is a slow process to start. Just 2.1 percent of gasoline is being blended with ethanol. Almost no diesel is being mixed with biodiesel agents at all. With a massive population, looking to live the western way of life, the need for effective biofuels is increasingly necessary. Especially since there is already a massive pollution problem going on in India. With these problems, it’s no wonder that the Indian government is looking to do anything it can to ease the burden, while promoting use of their own local plants.