India: Assam tea gardens are adapting to new agricultural practices by incorporating bamboo cultivation to support a bioethanol plant in Numaligarh. In August 2022, the Assam government amended the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holding Act of 1956, allowing tea gardens to use up to 5% of their land for non-tea purposes. This change has enabled several estates within a 300-km radius of the world’s first commercial-scale 2G bioethanol plant, which uses bamboo as feedstock, to begin bamboo cultivation.
The ₹4,930-crore bioethanol plant, established by Assam Bio Ethanol Private Limited (ABEPL), is a collaboration between Numaligarh Refinery Limited, Chempolis Oy, and Fortum. Although 2G ethanol production is costlier than its first-generation counterpart, it is more sustainable, ensuring food security and leaving a lower carbon footprint. The plant requires five lakh metric tonnes of green bamboo annually to produce 49,000 metric tonnes of ethanol, along with other by-products.
ABEPL has registered 4,200 bamboo farmers across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, but this number is insufficient to meet the plant’s demand. Tea gardens, with available land for non-tea activities, have stepped in to fill the gap, planting bamboo to support the bioethanol project. This initiative could help the tea industry overcome challenges such as climate change, ageing tea bushes, and high production costs.
The ABEPL has implemented a structured model for bamboo supply, offering instant payment to farmers and planning to distribute 60 lakh Bambusa tulda saplings. The tea gardens, covering 250,000 hectares, can contribute 12,500 hectares for bamboo cultivation. This strategic move is expected to enhance sustainable energy production and support local economies.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, February 15th, 2026
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