India's first bio-bitumen national highway

Why in the news?

• Recently, India's first bio-bitumen national highway was inaugurated in Nagpur district of Maharashtra.
• The 1 km stretch of Nagpur-Mansar National Highway project has been made using asphalt mixed with 15% bio-bitumen.
• This is the country's first national highway built with bitumen obtained from a crop residue called lignin.
• Pune-based Biotech Company Praj Industries and Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) have jointly constructed this road.
• Bio-bitumen road construction will:-
  • Reduce construction costs
  • Create jobs
  • Reduce pollution caused by burning stubble.

What is bio-bitumen?

• Bio-bitumen is a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based bitumen.
• It is free from petroleum.
• It is also known as bio-asphalt.

Production:-

• It is produced from organic materials such as bio-char, vegetable oils, crop stubble, algae, lignin and similar substances.

Utility:-

• Depending on the source material and production methods, bio-bitumen may have a lower environmental impact than conventional bitumen.
• Bio-bitumen production uses renewable resources, promoting more renewable resources for road construction.
• Bio-bitumen road is 40% more sustainable than conventional asphalt road.