Opinion: A Future with Biofuels

by Nripendra Abhishek Nrip (Telangana Today) India should take a lesson from Brazil which has successfully scaled up its bioethanol marketing by focusing on flexible fuel vehicles -- The New Delhi Declaration adopted at the G20 Summit announced the setting up of the Global Biofuel Alliance. The three founding members of the alliance, the US, India and Brazil, contribute around 85% to the global production of ethanol. Apart from India, the member countries include the US, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Italy, Mauritius, South Africa and the UAE. Canada and Singapore are observer countries. However, China and oil producers Saudi Arabia and Russia have decided not to be a part of the alliance.

Keeping the environment at the centre, biofuel is a good option. Biofuel means fuel made from trees, grains, algae, husk and food waste. They are extracted from many types of biomass and contain less amount of carbon. For the first time in 1890, German inventor Rudolf Diesel used vegetable oil to run an internal combustion engine for farming.

The newly formed alliance has some goals. First, to create a favourable policy environment for biofuels so that no problem arises in their use at the global level. Second, the development of biofuels as well as its use will require technology, which member countries will commit to sharing with each other. Third, there will be a need for a market for the production and use of biofuels. Fourth, the environmental and social impacts will have to be assessed.

As India is moving towards sustainable energy resources, it is becoming a challenge to coordinate between its different needs. These challenges include reducing dependence on energy imports, connecting grids to green energy while maintaining electricity affordability, and changing old methods of energy production while increasing employment opportunities.

In this context, biofuels (ethanol, compressed biogas and biodiesel) have emerged as an important tool. Biofuels can be helpful in reducing oil import dependence and environmental pollution as well as providing additional income to farmers apart from generating employment opportunities in rural areas.

Biofuels have many advantages over fossil fuels. First, they produce less carbon dioxide emissions, which can help mitigate climate change. Second, they are relatively renewable, which means they are likely to be available for a long time. Third, they can help boost local economies.

The major raw material used for ethanol production in India is sugarcane and its by-products account for 90% of the oil production under the ‘Ethanol Blending Programme’. This programme provides an alternative source of income to farmers while increasing liquidity in the sugar industry which is facing economic pressure. Using surplus rice and maize stored with the Food Corporation of India for ethanol production will provide them with an alternative market. Also, unlike the conventional energy source, biofuels are produced from renewable sources.

The Government of India has formulated a national policy on biofuels under which it is planning to move forward with the ethanol blending target of 20% petrol containing ethanol by 2025-26 instead of 2030. It will promote the production of biofuels by units located in Special Economic Zones (SEZs)/Export Oriented Units under the Make in India programme.

The government has allowed the addition of new members to the National Biofuels Coordination Committee (NBCC). It was formed to provide overall coordination, effective end-to-end implementation and monitoring of the biofuels programme. Under this policy, ethanol production is permitted by allowing the use of sugarcane juice, sugar-containing items like beetroot, sweet sorghum, starchy items like corn, cassava, and waste grains unfit for human consumption. An effort has been made to widen the scope of raw materials.

To avail the full benefits of the sustainability scheme, it is important to simplify and speed up the process of obtaining government approvals required for setting up bio-refineries. In this context, setting up of environment portal for granting environmental clearance to projects is a positive step. Additionally, the enormous transformative potential of biofuels can be harnessed only through the collaboration of students, teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.

It is also important to promote the development of dedicated biodiesel engines for the commercialisation of biodiesel. For this, technical support is necessary. In this context, India should take a lesson from Brazil which has successfully scaled up its bioethanol marketing by increasing the development of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), which have dedicated engines for both ethanol and gasoline. In addition, there is also a need to invest in research and development of second and third-generation biofuels. READ MORE