Brazilian envoy backs ethanol exports from India, calls it "great news" for global market

New Delhi [India], October 14 (ANI): Brazilian Ambassador Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega on Tuesday welcomed the idea of ethanol exports from India, saying it would be great news if India has surplus to export.

"If there is surplus to export ethanol, it's a good idea. I think that more countries exporting ethanol can make ethanol an important commodity throughout the world. And we want to promote ethanol as a world commodity. So for Brazil, it's great news if this will happen," he said while answering a question to ANI on possibilities of the ethanol exports from India.

He emphasised the need to promote ethanol as a global commodity, with more countries contributing to its trade.

A word commodity refers to a raw material that is traded on a global scale, and can be classified into two main categories: hard commodities, such as crude oil and gold, which are mined or extracted from the earth; and soft commodities, such as wheat and coffee, which are agricultural products or livestock.

India and Brazil are deepening their cooperation in the bioenergy sector, with a sharper focus on advancing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and achieving higher ethanol blending targets.

Brazil's Ambassador to India said the partnership has been gaining strength over the past few years as both countries align their clean energy ambitions.

"Our bilateral relations in terms of bioenergy have been booming now for some years," he said on the sidelines of 13th Bio-Energy Summit with a them of 'Fuelling India's Green Revolution:

Forging Global Partnerships'.

"Brazil has been sharing its experience in having ethanol as part of its gasoline mix and in developing engines that can take 100 per cent ethanol, 50 per cent ethanol, or any mixture," he stated.

He added that over the last five to six years, Brazil has actively shared its ethanol expertise with India.

"When Honourable Prime Minister Modi made a state visit to Brazil in July, both our leaders further committed to push this partnership further," the Ambassador noted.

He also highlighted the role of the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA), co-led by India and Brazil, in promoting ethanol as a key solution for decarbonisation across the Global South.

"The Global Biofuel Alliance is now the place where Brazil and India are not only strengthening and deepening their collaboration but also promoting ethanol as a solution to decarbonisation to the world," he said.

India, which has already achieved a 20 per cent ethanol blend in gasoline, is now moving toward a 30 per cent target, the Ambassador said.

"We cannot talk about deadlines. We can talk about steady progress. As you have now reached 20 per cent mix of ethanol and gasoline, we are about to reach 30 per cent mix. And you are now sharing the idea of promoting sustainable aviation fuel," he said.

He emphasised that both nations are following national pathways toward greater bioenergy integration.

"Deadlines are national deadlines. You have a national deadline; we have a national deadline to further phase in our bioenergy and bioethanol participation in the energy matrix," he said.

The two countries have also expanded cooperation in other key sectors, including energy, agriculture, defense, and pharmaceuticals, and Brazil is seeking to learn from India's success in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

"India has a very valuable experience in promoting DPIs in your country. So we want to learn from you," the Ambassador remarked.

Highlighting Brazil's success with flex-fuel motor technology, which allows cars to operate on any ethanol-gasoline blend, he said "The flex-fuel motor is the successful experience of Brazil in moving towards larger blends of ethanol and gasoline because cars equipped with flex-fuel engines can run on any mix of ethanol and gasoline, so you don't have a technical problem."

With both India and Brazil now expanding ethanol use and working jointly on sustainable aviation fuel, their partnership under the Global Biofuel Alliance is emerging as a key driver of global decarbonisation efforts.

However, Tarun Sawhney, Chairman, CII, National Committee on Bioenergy said that the sustainable aviation fuel is also being explored, though it will require significant investment and time to develop."

The summit highlighted the diversion of sugar, rice, and maize towards the ethanol program, supporting both energy security and farmer incomes, Sawhney said.

India has achieved a 20 per cent ethanol blend and is now considering increasing it to 27 per cent, with the potential for E100 (100 per cent ethanol) in flex-fuel cars, he added. (ANI)

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