New Delhi / Reporter: The biofuel and ethanol revolution in India is no longer limited to just the tanks of vehicles. After achieving the target of mixing 20 percent ethanol (E20) in petrol ahead of time, the central government is now working on a completely new and unique model. In the coming days, your kitchen stove will be made on the lines of ATM. “Ethanol ATM” You will be able to buy ethanol fuel in canister from Rs.
This step is being taken to reduce the country’s dependence on imported LPG and to protect the common consumer from the shocks of crude oil and gas prices in the international market.
Why was there a need to think beyond petrol?
The Ethanol Blending Program (EBP) of the Narendra Modi government has achieved unprecedented success in the last decade. In the year 2014-15, where the adulteration of ethanol in petrol was only 1.5%, today it has increased to 20%. This scheme has saved more than Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the country’s foreign exchange reserves and has provided a strong source of additional earnings to farmers and distilleries in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra.
But along with this success a new challenge has also emerged – Excess production capacity (capacity overhang).
According to a recent report by CareEdge Ratings:
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India’s current ethanol production capacity 20 billion liters annually Has crossed.
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With the addition of 4 billion liters of additional capacity in the current financial year, this total 24 billion liters It will be done.
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On the other hand, under the E20 program annually 11 billion liters Only ethanol is required.
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Demand from liquor manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and chemical industry is close to 3 to 3.5 billion liters Is.
This means that every year the country has approximately 7 billion liters of ethanol surplus Is saved.
From blending to consumption: focus on export and aviation fuel
To utilize this surplus ethanol, policymakers are now focusing on ‘consumption target’ instead of ‘blending target’.
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International Export: Ways are being explored to export ethanol to neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia, where biofuel targets are set but they do not have sufficient capacity for domestic production.
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Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): Research is going on rapidly towards increasing the use of ethanol in preparing eco-friendly fuel for airplanes.
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Flex-fuel vehicles: There are preparations to bring vehicles running on 100 percent biofuel on the roads.
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Kitchen Fuel and Ethanol ATM: To reduce the LPG import bill, a retail structure for direct use of ethanol in domestic stoves is being created.
New plants installed in the sugar and grain belts like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra are now not only making India energy self-reliant, but are also taking the country on the path of becoming the world’s biggest biofuel hub.
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