Ethanol push

The inauguration of India’s first second-generation ethanol plant in Panipat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of World Biofuel Day marks an important milestone in the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy. The waste-to-wealth project, based on state-of-the-art indigenous technology, is estimated to utilise about 2 lakh tonnes of rice straw annually to generate nearly 3 crore litres of ethanol. Incentivising farmers to sell straw instead of burning it is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking around 63,000 cars off the roads per year. Establishing such plants across the country will bring India closer to fulfilling its clean energy goals, besides helping farmers earn additional income and do their bit to decrease air pollution. It’s vital for the authorities to ensure hassle-free purchase of straw at remunerative rates and prompt payment to the farmers so that ethanol production takes place smoothly and efficiently.

One of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, India has committed itself to cutting down projected emissions by a billion tonnes by 2030. Having comfortably achieved the target of supplying petrol mixed with 10 per cent ethanol, the country has advanced the deadline for providing petrol with 20 per cent ethanol by five years to 2025. It’s heartening that the government hopes to start supplying petrol with one-fifth ethanol at select fuel stations from April 2023 itself. These steps have been partly necessitated by the nation’s huge dependence on oil imports, starkly visible during the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. Increased blending of ethanol can be a game-changer on the renewable energy front for India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer.

The passage of the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill in the just-concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament is another indicator of the political resolve to promote the use of non-fossil fuels such as ethanol, green hydrogen and biomass. The Bill includes provisions for imposing penalties on manufacturers if a vehicle fails to comply with fuel consumption norms. Earnest efforts by all stakeholders to boost the production and use of biofuels can go a long way in making India well-prepared to confront huge challenges posed by climate change.

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