We are excited to share the story of our next podcast guest, Heli Antila, CEO of Chempolis, whose work is breaking barriers in sustainable innovation.

In September India reached a historic milestone with the inauguration of the country’s first bamboo-based biorefinery. The inauguration was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Assam, marking a proud moment for India’s clean energy journey.

This facility, developed by Assam Bio Ethanol Private Limited (ABEPL) — a joint venture between Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), Fortum Oyj, and Chempolis Oy — represents a first-of-its-kind industrial-scale achievement. Located in Numaligarh, the biorefinery is designed to process 300,000 tons of bamboo annually, producing bioethanol, furfural, acetic acid, and green energy.

Two weeks back, the facility also produced commercial-grade ethanol at 99.6% purity, a major step forward in India’s Ethanol Blending Program (EBP). This achievement not only advances India’s energy security and climate goals, but also uplifts local communities by creating sustainable value chains in Assam.

“The inauguration of India’s first bamboo-based biorefinery is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our teams and partners. We are proud to contribute to a greener future and to the economic upliftment of the local community in Assam,” says Heli Antila, CEO of Chempolis.

Listen to the  podcast episode with Heli Antila, where we will dive deeper into the story behind this groundbreaking project and what it means for the future of India–Nordic collaboration in green energy.