20% Ethanol-Blended Petrol May Be Available by Dec or Jan: Puri

(The Tribune) Twenty per cent ethanol-blended petrol is likely to be available in the country from December or January, ahead of the April 2023 target, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday.

"We are constantly reviewing the ethanol production and I believe, 20 per cent blended fuel would come in the market in December or January ahead of April 2023 (target)," he told media here.

Citing the example of Brazil where flex-fuel vehicles are available and the consumer can take ethanol or petrol as per choice, he said this would be the ultimate goal of the government.

However, to reach that stage, certain technical aspects are there and work is going on. "We are going to hold a major meeting with automobile manufacturers on ethanol blending," he said.

India has advanced the target date for achieving 20 per cent ethanol-blending in petrol by five years to 2025.

The minister also said for the targeted 20 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol, the country would need a 1,000 core litre capacity.

He said 450 crore litre is being produced and tenders for 400 crore litre have been issued. READ MORE

Excerpt from ABP News Bureau: All petrol sold in the country is targeted to have 20 per cent ethanol by 2025.

Meanwhile, reacting to the decision of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day, Puri said India will do all that is required to ensure its energy security and affordability.

He said if required, India will go for diversification of energy sources. "This is their (OPEC's) sovereign right what they want to do but equally it is my job to point out that all actions have consequences, intended or unintended. India will be able to navigate through the situation with confidence," the petroleum and natural gas minister said at GEO India 2022 conference here.

"We will not allow any shortages to come in. The government will do all that is required to ensure energy security and affordability," he said.

Puri said as per the estimate of the sector, consumption of fuel will increase and 25 per cent of the global demand in next 20 years will be from India. Therefore, he added, the prime minister took the decision to open up exploration and production sector. READ MORE

Excerpt from The Hindu Business Line: Earlier, Nitin Gadkari had suggested to cut production of sugar and focus on boosting that of ethanol--

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday advised the sugar industry to diversify sources for producing ethanol, as sugarcane — currently the main source for making ethanol in India — is a water intensive crop. Puri’s statement was at variance with his Cabinet colleague Nitin Gadkari who had earlier suggested focusing on reduction of sugar and boosting ethanol production from sugarcane.

At present, India total ethanol production capacity is 923 crore litre, of which 605 crore litre is sugar-based and 318 crore litre is grain-based. India is the world’s largest producer and second largest exporter of sugar.

Speaking at an event organised by the SIAM’s International Conference on Biofuel, Puri said: “I always worry when people ask, as your president (Aditya Jhunjhunwala) did, about sugar. Sugar is very water intensive... So in many ways, if you look at how much ethanol you can produce from sugar, you are actually exporting water... I don’t think that’s effective.”

He further said, “I know there are local considerations, but we should be very careful and we also want to avoid the global debate which came on food security. You will find that the diversification we have for producing the required quantity for ethanol production to get to 20 per cent, we are diversifying to agricultural waste to rice straw, etc, and I think that constitutes the future.”

Opposite view

Speaking at an ISMA conference on September 21, Gadkari had said: “My request is to reduce production of sugar, otherwise the future is very bad. I know there are constraints. But the alternative is that now in place of sugar, we need to make more ethanol. Technology is developed. Now bio-sugar syrup is available, which you can make and maintain for a year... Divert sugar to ethanol, I request you.” READ MORE

Excerpt from Daily Pioneer: The Jharkhand Ethanol Production and Promotion Policy 2022 was given approval by the State Cabinet on Friday. The policy aims at promoting ethanol production in the State to boost alternative sources of energy in the field of biofuels.

With this, the income of farmers will increase due to the use of sugarcane, maize, and broken rice as raw material in ethanol production. Fuel grade ethanol will be produced by the unit, which will be used as fuel by mixing. SGST exemption will be given in this.

Sources said that given the availability of feedstock used for ethanol production, Jharkhand can easily sustain a minimum of 600 KL/day of production for the captive market available in eastern India. READ MORE