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SIAM organizes technical demonstration on “Ethanol Adoption – Flex Fuel Vehicles in India”
Context
Recently, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has organised a technology demonstration on ‘Ethanol Adoption-Flex Fuel Vehicles in India.
Details:
- The event was done to demonstrate the readiness of automobile manufacturers for ethanol adoption.
- The manufacturers will be deployed through multiple segments of FFVs, particularly in the four-wheeler and two-wheeler segments.
- Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on gasoline and any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to 83%.
- The Centre has mandated SIAM to promote ethanol as a transportation fuel, jointly with the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI).
India’s Ethanol Blending Programme:
- The Centre had “launched pilot projects wherein 5 per cent ethanol-blended petrol was supplied to retail outlets”.
- The success of field trials paved the way for the launching of the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme in 2003.
- It aimed to popularise 5 percent ethanol-blended petrol in 9 States and 4 UTs.
- Ethanol is blended through a separate pumping and BIO-metering mechanism.
- Aim: Reducing the country’s dependence on crude oil imports, cutting carbon emissions and boosting farmers’ incomes.
- Targets:
- India had targeted 10 percent ethanol blending in petrol by the end of 2022 and 20 percent blending by 2030.
- In December 2020, the government advanced its target of achieving 20% blending (E20) from 2030 to
- Also, there is a target of 5 percent blending of biodiesel with diesel by 2030.
- The Centre has also announced an additional duty of Rs.2 per litre on unblended fuels starting October to incentivize blending.
How have other countries fared?
- Though the U.S., China, Canada and Brazil all have ethanol blending programmes, as a developing country, Brazil stands out.
- It had legislated that the ethanol content in petrol should be in the 18-27.5% range, and it finally touched the 27% target in 2021.
NITI Aayog- ‘Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25’:
- Raise pan-India ethanol production capacity from the current 700 to 1500 crore litres
- Phased rollout of E10 fuel by April 2022
- Phased rollout of E20 from April 2023, its availability by April 2025
- The rollout of E20 material-compliant and E10 engine-tuned vehicles from April 2023
- Production of E20-tuned engine vehicles from April 2025
- Nationwide educational campaign
- Encourage the use of water-sparing crops, such as maize, to produce ethanol
- Promote technology for the production of ethanol from the non-food feedstock.
Significance of switching to cleaner fuels:
- Achieving net zero emissions by 2070.
- Spread awareness and impart education about ethanol-blended petrol and its benefits, compared to traditional fuel.
- Building up a sustainable ecosystem to cater to all futuristic alternate fuel needs.
- Reduction on energy imports, thus saving foreign exchange fund
- Building strategic advantage of being Atmanirbhar.
Concerns:
- National Policy on Biofuel: The food grains meant for the impoverished are being sold to distilleries at prices cheaper than what states pay for their public distribution networks.
- India ranked 107 out of 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022.
- Efficiency: Fossil Fuels produce more energy than some biofuels. E.g., 1 gallon of ethanol produces less energy as compared to 1 gallon of gasoline (a fossil fuel).
- Cost: Production of biofuels requires land; this impacts the cost of biofuels as well as that of food crops.
- Water use: massive quantities of water are required for proper irrigation of biofuel crops as well as to manufacture the fuel, which could strain local and regional water resources.
Initiatives regarding Biofuels
- Ethanol Blending Programme
- The National Policy on Biofuels–2018
- E-100 Pilot Project
- Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019
- Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO)
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