Assam boosts industrial footprint with e-methanol project at Kandla
Strengthening Assam’s growing industrial presence at the national level, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister for Ports Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal formally laid the foundation stone for a major e-methanol production project at Kandla in Gujarat at Kandla in Gujarat today.
The project is a joint initiative of Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APCL) and the Deendayal Port Authority.
With an investment of Rs 2,300 crore and a production capacity of 150 tonnes per day (TPD), the project is among the major e-methanol production initiatives in the country. It is expected to create more than 3,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities. To be established at Kandla Port, one of India’s major maritime commercial hubs on the western coast, the project is envisaged to promote the use of green fuel in the shipping sector, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and contribute to lowering emissions from maritime transport. The project also marks a significant expansion of Assam’s industrial footprint beyond the State and reflects the capabilities and growing role of Assam’s public sector enterprises in emerging areas of the national green economy.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that the project would contribute significantly to India’s efforts to expand the use of green fuels. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in 2021.
The Chief Minister said that, in keeping with the Prime Minister’s vision, India has witnessed the emergence of a new movement towards green fuels and clean energy. He stated that Gujarat has emerged as a leading State in this transition through initiatives in solar power, green hydrogen and other forms of clean energy. Sarma said that the Prime Minister’s vision of accelerating the adoption of green fuels is gradually being translated into action across the country and that India is making significant strides in the development and adoption of clean energy technologies.
He said that it is heartening that the shipping sector is also being brought within the ambit of this green transition. In this context, the e-methanol project at Kandla assumes particular significance, as the methanol produced through the project is envisaged to be used as a marine fuel for ships operating from the port to international destinations.
Highlighting Assam’s historic contribution to India’s energy sector, Sarma said that the State has played a pioneering role in the country’s oil and petroleum industry. He pointed out that Asia’s first mechanically drilled oil well was established at Makum in Assam in 1867, while India’s first oil refinery was commissioned at Digboi in 1901.
He said that Assam continues to make an important contribution to the country’s oil and natural gas sector. and also possesses considerable experience in methanol production.
Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited at Namrup has a methanol production capacity of up to 500 tonnes per day, providing the State with valuable expertise in the sector. Stating the invitation extended by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited to participate as a partner in the Kandla e-methanol project, Dr. Sarma said that Assam readily accepted the opportunity, considering it a matter of pride for the State to contribute to one of the country’s major green-fuel initiatives.
He expressed hope that similar green-fuel projects would be developed at other major ports across the country in the coming years, further strengthening India’s transition towards cleaner and more sustainable maritime transportation. The Chief Minister also highlighted the deep historical and contemporary ties between Assam and Gujarat. Referring to the ancient connection associated with Lord Krishna and Rukmini, he said that the relationship between the two States has continued to grow in modern times as well. He noted that Assam is India’s largest tea-producing State, while Gujarat is among the major markets for Assam tea.
Dr. Sarma further informed that senior officials from Assam had recently visited the Gujarat State Secretariat to gain a deeper understanding of Gujarat’s development experience and institutional practices, with the objective of drawing lessons relevant to Assam’s own development journey. Reflecting on the transformation of Assam and the Northeast, the Chief Minister said that the region, once perceived as one of the deprived parts of the country, is witnessing a significant change in its development trajectory in recent years.
He pointed to the emergence of new industrial and technological initiatives, including semiconductor-related projects, as evidence of the changing economic landscape of Assam and the Northeast. Dr. Sarma said, “I would like to thank the people of Gujarat for giving India a Prime Minister whom the people of the Northeast had always been waiting for. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the transformation of Assam and the Northeast is progressing at full speed today.”
The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for facilitating Assam’s participation in the landmark e-methanol project and for strengthening the industrial partnership between Assam and Gujarat.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel were present at the programme.
Gujarat Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development and Employment Kantilal Amrutiya, Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education Trikam Chhanga, Kachchh Lok Sabha MP Vinod Chavda, Gandhidham MLA Malti Ben Kishor Maheshwari, Naharkatia MLA and Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Taranga Gogoi, Chairman, Deendayal Port Authority, Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairman, Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited, Bikul Deka, and host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
