Q. Discuss the significance of ethanol blending in India. Highlight the potential challenges.
Introduction
Ethanol
• Chemical formula- C2-H5-OH.
• Other name- ethyl alcohol.
• Source- sugarcane, food grains.
Ethanol blending
• Process of adding ethanol to fossil fuel.
• Ethanol blending- reduces vehicle exhaust emissions and import burden of crude oil.
Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme
• Launched in 2003.
• Aim- blending ethanol with petrol to reduce the consumption of fossil fuel.
• Achievement- 11.8% of ethanol blending in petrol in 2022-23.
• Target- 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025.
Body of the answer
Significance of ethanol blending in petrol
• Reduced CO2 and CO emissions.
- Ethanol contains 35% of oxygen- aids in complete burn of petrol. Potential- 20% ethanol blending will reduce about 3 lakh tonnes of CO2 emission per annum.
• Increase in the income of Indian farmers.
Reason- demand for more sugarcane and food grains in the market.
• Helps in achieving self-reliance in the energy sector.
- Data- 85% of oil requirement of India’s transportation sector is met by the import of crude oil
- Ethanol blending- reduce the import of crude oil.
• Curbing air pollution.
- Promoting the use of stubbles in the ethanol production in Punjab & Haryana.
- Result- reduces stubble-burning & air pollution.
Challenges in ethanol blending
• Ethanol production is highly water intensive.
- 70 litres of ethanol can be produced from 1 tonne of sugarcane.
- Problem- it need 2,860 litres of water.
• Lack of proper infrastructure to extract ethanol.
- No proper dispensing units and additional storage tanks.
Food insecurity.
- Diversion of food grains for ethanol production- shortage of food & fodder.
- Redirecting the agriculture land for sugarcane production- reduced food grains production.
•Challenges in upgrading vehicle engines and components.
- Engine needs to be tested & calibrated.
Conclusion
• India’s 20% ethanol blending target would bring many positive incomes.
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
- Reduced crude oil imports. •
Challenges to be addressed
- Food insecurity.
- Over use of water.
- Lack of technology.
20% in 2025 ethanol blending- helps to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
- BIHAR PERSPECT: –
Bihar might not have abundance of minerals to support heavy industries, but its rich reserves of water and plenitude of grains and sugar cane have resulted in ethanol or biofuel revolution in the state. Historically, trade has flourished mostly in civilisations situated adjacent to rivers or seas from where transportation through waterways becomes easier. - Chief minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated Bihar’s first ethanol plant at Purnia on May 7, 2022. It has the capacity to produce 65,000 litres of ethanol per day.
- Altogether 29 ethanol plants were proposed to be set up in Bihar in the initial national bid – ding process and 17 were finally ap – proved by the Centre
- “With abundance of raw material, including maize and water, Bihar is set to be the ethanol hub of the country,”
- The employment opportunity will also help stop migration of people outside Bihar,”
- he state ethanol policy has allowed extraction of ethanol from surplus quantities of maize and other starch- rich grains, which was earlier limited only to sugar cane. “Bihar has become an ethanol hub primarily due to the National Policy of Bio – fuels, 2018 introduced by the Narendra Modi government.