The Prayas ePathshala

Exams आसान है !

One of the main biofuels, it is created spontaneously when yeasts ferment carbohydrates or through petrochemical reactions like ethylene hydration.
Ethanol is regarded as renewable fuel since it is derived from plants.
High starch crops like sugarcane, maize, wheat, etc. can be used to make ethanol.
In India, the fermentation of sugarcane molasses is the primary method used to make ethanol.

Blending Ethanol:

A motor fuel combined only with petrol that contains at least 99% pure ethyl alcohol obtained from agricultural products is known as an ethanol blend.

Blending Objective:

India has moved forward the deadline for mixing 20% ethanol (commonly known as E20) into petrol from 2030 to 2025.
As of March 2022, India had attained 45% ethanol blending.
In India, 5% of ethanol is now mixed with petrol.

The purpose of blending ethanol is to:

Effect on Emissions: Fuel combined with ethanol reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO).

Energy Safety:

A greater ethanol consumption will lessen reliance on imported oil. As of 2020–21, the current net import cost is $551 billion USD.
The nation can save USD 4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) annually with the help of the E20 programme.

It could encourage farmers to:

Oil corporations buy ethanol from farmers, which helps the growers of sugarcane.
The intends to promote the manufacture of ethanol from non-food feedstock and water-saving crops, especially maize, in areas with limited water resources.

India is the country with the third-largest global demand for products and crude.
According to estimations from the International Energy Agency (IEA), biomass accounted for up to 20% of our total primary energy supply, with households using the majority of it.

Actions made to stop relying on imported crude oil:

In 2003, India started a scheme for mixing ethanol.
India’s blending programme reached a major milestone in 2022 when petrol was blended with 10% ethanol.

Demand for energy and ethanol:

In 2022, approximately 430 crore litres of ethanol were delivered by ethanol producers.
By 2025, India’s ethanol consumption is expected to rise to about 1,100 crore litres due to the need for 20% blending.
Investments and the capacity to supply—and divert—the feedstock required for the nation’s ethanol output will be needed.
Because they meet people’s requirements for mobility, two-wheelers account for over 60% of our petrol use.
Four-wheelers account for 40% of demand, and this percentage is projected to rise.
A study conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water on urban India found that almost half of the participants felt that owning a four-wheeler was both necessary and desirable.
According to the NITI Aayog research, the demand for petrol will increase by more than 45% by 2030 as opposed to 2021.

India’s ethanol supply for the blended programme:

First-generation production: this method uses the underlying sugars found in food crops, namely grain (16%) and sugarcane (84%).
There are a lot of second-generation (2G) technologies available for producing ethanol.

Proactive Measures:

National Biofuels Policy 2018:

It offers a target indicative of blending 20% ethanol by 2030 through the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.
To allow for the extension of suitable financial and fiscal incentives under each category, biofuels are categorised as “Advanced Biofuels” which include Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG, and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, as well as First Generation (1G) bio-ethanol and biodiesel.
With the National Biofuel Coordination Committee’s approval, it permits the use of excess food grains to produce ethanol for fuel blends.
It suggests a Rs. 5,000 crore six-year viability gap funding plan for 2G ethanol biorefineries, together with more tax breaks and a higher purchasing price than 1G biofuels.

Pilot project E100:

The Way Ahead:

Now that India is hosting the G20, the Global Biofuel Alliance has to transform this fuel into a form that can supply clean bioenergy to a variety of end uses, enhance energy security, and maximise public spending.
The earliest possible implementation of the food-energy-water nexus and first-generation production supremacy is required.
Through guaranteed procurement, ethanol provides the farming sector with a new source of revenue.
Before increasing the production of ethanol, India must do a thorough analysis of these trade-offs and establish a precise plan for the research and development of 2G technologies.
The main goals of policy should be to address private gasoline demand and reduce the nation’s overall petrol use, even as we diversify our fuel sources.
The shift to greater amounts of biofuels might be made easier by taxing the usage of private vehicles in cities and promoting EVs specifically in public transportation.