India’s First Bio-Bitumen Stretch Inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated India’s first bio-bitumen-based National Highway stretch on NH-44 in Mansar, Nagpur, Maharashtra. This stretch is a milestone in India’s road development sector, being the first to employ lignin-based bio-bitumen technology. The technology, developed by Praj Industries, in collaboration with CSIR – Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and Oriental, represents a significant step forward in India’s sustainability and self-reliance goals.

Key Points From Inauguration of Event

Bio-Bitumen Technology

• The stretch on NH-44 is developed using lignin-based bio-bitumen technology, which is a breakthrough in flexible pavement construction.
• Praj Industries and CSIR-CRRI collaborated on this innovation, marking a significant leap in road construction technology.

Sustainability and Environmental Impact

• Lignin, a by-product of plant biomass, is used as a sustainable binder for road construction.
• This innovation can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% when compared to fossil-based bitumen.
• By utilizing lignocellulosic biomass, the technology addresses issues such as bitumen scarcity and import dependency (currently, India imports 50% of its bitumen).
• The development generates additional revenue for bio-refineries and mitigates the environmental problem of stubble burning.

Economic and Agricultural Benefits

• The use of agricultural waste like rice straw (parali) in producing bio-bitumen can help alleviate the pollution caused by stubble burning, especially in Punjab and Haryana.
• In turn, this creates value for farmers, turning them into ‘bitumendata’ (producers of bio-bitumen) in addition to their traditional role as ‘annadata’ (food producers) and ‘urjadata’ (energy producers).

Vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat

• Nitin Gadkari emphasized that this initiative fits with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).
• The technology will support large-scale domestic production of bio-bitumen, promoting industrial sustainability and reducing India’s dependence on imports.

CNG From Biomass Products

• Gadkari mentioned that there are currently 400 projects in the country aiming to produce CNG from biomass, which is cheaper and cleaner than petrol.
• 60 lakh tonnes of parali have already been used in these projects, helping reduce pollution and benefiting farmers.