Context:
Prime Minister, at a G20 Energy Ministers’ meet recently, said that India has rolled out 20% ethanol-blended petrol this year and aims to “cover the entire country by 2025”.
Relevance:
GS III: Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Biofuel
- Ethanol and Ethanol Blending in India
- Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme (EBP)
About Biofuel
- Biofuel is a fuel produced from biomass over a short time span, distinct from the slow natural processes forming fossil fuels like oil.
- It is usually reserved for liquid or gaseous fuels used in transportation, while biomass may refer to any fuel source.
- Common biofuels include bioalcohols (e.g., ethanol, propanol, butanol), biodiesel, and bio-oils.
Blend with Petroleum Products:
- Biofuels are often blended with refined petroleum products like gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel for consumption.
- Some biofuels, called drop-in biofuels, do not require blending and can be used directly.
Generations of Biofuel:
- First Generation (1G): Produced from consumable food items containing starch (rice, wheat) or sugar (beets, sugarcane) for bioalcohols and vegetable oils for biodiesel. They may impact food security due to low yields.
- Second Generation (2G): Derived from non-food feedstocks like agricultural, forest, or industrial waste and used vegetable oils.
- Third Generation (3G): Known as ‘algae fuel,’ obtained from algae in biodiesel and bioalcohol forms. Algae yield is higher than 2G, but challenges in scaling up extraction remain.
- Fourth Generation (4G): Made from non-arable land without biomass destruction. Includes electro fuels and photo-biological solar fuels.
Ethanol and Ethanol Blending in India:
- Ethanol is an agricultural by-product obtained mainly from the processing of sugar from sugarcane, but it can also be derived from other sources such as rice husk or maize.
- Ethanol blending is the practice of mixing ethanol with petrol in order to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in vehicles.
- E20 fuel refers to a blend consisting of 20% ethanol and 80% petrol.
- In February 2023, the Prime Minister of India launched the E20 fuel pilot project in Bengaluru, which involves blending 20% ethanol with petrol.
- Initially, this pilot project covers at least 15 cities and is expected to be gradually implemented nationwide.
- Over the years, India has been steadily increasing the proportion of ethanol blended with petrol. The blending rate has risen from 1.53% in 2013-14 to 10.17% in 2022.
- The government has advanced its target of achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025, aiming to further reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
- As part of its G20 presidency, the Indian government has proposed the establishment of a global biofuel alliance with countries like Brazil. This alliance would focus on promoting the use of biofuels internationally.
Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme (EBP)
- Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme was launched in 2003- and this initiative is pursued aggressively in the last 4 to 5 years to reduce import dependence of crude oil as well as mitigate environmental pollution.
- The Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) seeks to achieve blending of Ethanol with motor sprit with a view to reducing pollution, conserve foreign exchange and increase value addition in the sugar industry enabling them to clear cane price arrears of farmers.
- Although the Government of India decided to launch EBP programme in 2003 for supply of 5% ethanol blended Petrol, it later scaled up blending targets from 5% to 10% under the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP).
- The Government of India has also advanced the target for 20% ethanol blending in petrol (also called E20) to 2025 from 2030.
- Currently, 8.5% of ethanol is blended with petrol in India.
Advantages of Ethanol Blending
- Use of ethanol-blended petrol decreases emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
- The unregulated carbonyl emissions, such as acetaldehyde emission were, however, higher with E10 and E20 compared to normal petrol. However, these emissions were relatively lower.
- Increased use of ethanol can help reduce the oil import bill. India’s net import cost stands at USD 551 billion in 2020-21. The E20 program can save the country USD 4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) per annum.
- The oil companies procure ethanol from farmers that benefits the sugarcane farmers.
- Further, the government plans to encourage use of water-saving crops, such as maize, to produce ethanol, and production of ethanol from non-food feedstock.
-Source: Indian Express
