Advanced ethanol bio-refinery worth Rs 1000 crore to be setup in Bargarh

The foundation stone for second generation ethanol bio-refinery of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) will be laid in Bargarh district of Odisha on Wednesday.

The Rs 1000 crore project will contribute to a clean environment and Ethanol blending in Petrol, BPCL officials said on Sunday.

The foundation stone for the plant will be laid by Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal in the presence of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries.

The bio-refinery will have a capacity to produce 3 crore litre of fuel-grade ethanol annually using rice straw as feedstock and the Ethanol produced from this plant will be blended with Petrol, the officials said.

Biofuels have assumed importance due to growing energy security needs and environmental concerns.

Many countries have put forth various mechanism and incentives to encourage the use of biofuels to suit their domestic needs.