The Indian government has recently made a call for public inputs concerning the adoption of E20 fuel as a means to promote the utilization of green fuel such as ethanol.
Understanding E20 Fuel
E20 fuel is a blend that consists of 20% ethanol and gasoline. As of today, the legal limit for blending is 10% ethanol, but as of 2019, India only managed to reach a blending percentage of 5.6%.
The Significance of E20 Fuel
The major advantages of this move towards E20 fuel include considerable reductions in the emissions of carbon dioxide and other hydrocarbons. Moreover, the step will also help to cut down the oil import bill, ultimately saving foreign exchange and bolstering energy security.
Ethanol Compatibility of Vehicles
According to the government, the vehicle manufacturer is responsible for defining the vehicle’s compatibility with the percentage of ethanol present in the blend of ethanol and gasoline. This information must be visibly displayed on the vehicle by affixing a sticker.
Introducing Green Fuel – Biofuel
Green fuel, also known as biofuel, is a type of fuel which is distilled from plant and animal materials. It is considered by many to be more environmentally friendly than traditional fossil fuels, which power most of the world.
The Different Kinds of Biofuels
Biofuels are of various types. Bioethanol is derived from corn and sugarcane through a fermentation process. It improves combustion performance and reduces carbon monoxide and sulphur oxide emissions when mixed with petrol. Biodiesel, on the other hand, is derived from vegetable oils like soybean oil or palm oil, waste vegetable oils, and animal fats through “Transesterification”, a biochemical process. It emits far less harmful gases compared to diesel. Biogas is produced by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter like sewage from animals and humans, and is commonly used for heating, electricity and automobiles. Lastly, Biohydrogen, similar to biogas, can be produced using a number of processes such as pyrolysis, gasification or biological fermentation. It could be a perfect alternative for fossil fuel.
Efforts to Promote Biofuels
The Indian government has implemented several initiatives to promote the use of biofuels. The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme aims to extract fuel from surplus quantities of food grains. The objective of Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019, is to create an ecosystem for setting up commercial projects and boost research and development in the 2G Ethanol sector. The GOBAR DHAN scheme, 2018, focuses on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to useful compost, biogas and bio-CNG. The Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative, launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), aims for an ecosystem that will enable the collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.
National Policy on Biofuels, 2018
This policy broadens the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, corn, cassava, damaged food grains and others. It also suggests a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries amounting to Rs. 5000 crore over six years, besides additional tax incentives and higher purchase price compared to 1G biofuels.
The Future Potential of Biofuels in India
Being a major agricultural economy, India has immense potential for the production of biofuels using a large amount of agricultural residues. Biofuels can aid in rural and agricultural development by introducing new cash crops. A community-based biodiesel distribution programme that benefits the local economy, from farmers growing the feedstock to local businesses producing and distributing the fuel to end consumers, is a step worth considering.
