Syllabus
GS Paper III – Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Context
World Biofuel Day was recently celebrated on August 10, 2024.
World Biofuel Day | Biofuels
Introduction
World Biofuel Day, celebrated on August 10, 2024, aims to raise awareness about sustainable energy alternatives to fossil fuels and highlight government initiatives supporting the biofuel industry. This day also commemorates the pioneering achievement of German engineer Sir Rudolf Diesel, who successfully operated an engine on peanut oil on August 9, 1893. Additionally, World Biofuel Day emphasizes the environmental benefits of biofuels, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting energy security, while encouraging innovation and investment in biofuel technologies.
Biofuels
- Definition: Biofuels are fuels derived from the biomass of plants or animal wastes.
- Common Sources: Typically produced from corn, sugarcane, and animal waste like cow dung.
- Renewable Energy: These fuels are classified as renewable sources of energy.
Most Common Biofuels
- Ethanol:
- Production: Created by fermentation of crop residues such as corn and sugarcane.
- Usage: Mixed with petroleum to reduce emissions; the most common blend is Ethanol-10, containing 10% ethanol.
- Purity Levels: Ethanol used in fuel is 99.9% pure alcohol; 96% extra neutral alcohol is used in potable liquor, and 94% rectified spirit is found in paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial products.
- Biodiesel:
- Definition: A renewable, biodegradable fuel made from used cooking oil, recycled restaurant grease, yellow grease, or animal fats.
- Production Process: Involves burning the oil or fat with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst.
Importance of Biofuels
- Environmental Benefits
- Sustainability: Biofuels are essential for environmental sustainability as they can mitigate the negative impacts of fossil fuel use, such as greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.
- Waste Management: They also offer improved waste management solutions.
- Energy Security
- Import Reduction: As the world’s third-largest crude oil consumer, India imports over 85% of its oil. With rising energy demand and heavy reliance on imports, biofuels can enhance energy security.
- Economic Benefits
- Cost Savings: Biofuels can reduce India’s oil imports and import bill.
- Agricultural Boost: They can also boost farm incomes and address the surplus production of crops like corn and sugarcane.
- Abundant Availability
- Diverse Sources: Biofuels can be produced from a variety of sources, including crops, waste, and algae.
Government Initiatives and Policies on Biofuels
- National Policy on Biofuel, 2018
- Objective: Aims to reduce import dependence by promoting fuel blending with bioethanol, biodiesel, and bio-CNG.
- Key Elements: Includes the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP), production of second-generation ethanol from forest and agricultural residues, increasing local fuel additive production under the “Make in India” program, and R&D in feedstock.
- Amendment: In May 2022, the policy was amended to advance the 20% ethanol blending target from 2030 to 2025-26.
- Reduced GST on Ethanol: To encourage ethanol blending, the government lowered the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate on ethanol used for blending under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme from 18% to 5%.
- Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019
- Objective: Aims to boost Second Generation (2G) ethanol production from cellulosic and lignocellulosic sources, including petrochemical routes, by offering financial support.
- LC Biomass: Refers to plant biomass composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin (e.g., cereal straw, bagasse, forest residues, and vegetative grasses).
- Extension: The scheme’s implementation timeline has been extended by 5 years, now running until 2028-29.
- GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) DHAN Scheme, 2018
- Focus: Manages and converts cattle dung and solid waste in farms to useful compost, biogas, and bio-CNG, thus keeping villages clean and increasing the income of rural households.
- Launch: Introduced under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).
- Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO): Launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to create an ecosystem for the collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.
- Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA)
- Alliance: A multi-stakeholder alliance to facilitate international cooperation and promote the use of sustainable biofuels.
- Launch: Formally launched in 2023 by India along with leaders from the USA, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Singapore, Bangladesh, Mauritius, and the UAE during the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
- Goals: Aims to facilitate global biofuel trade and provide technical support for national biofuel programs.
- Additional Achievements
- 2G Ethanol Project: The first 2G ethanol project was inaugurated in Panipat, Haryana in 2022.
- Ethanol Blending Increase: Ethanol blending increased from 38 crore liters in 2013-14 to over 500 crore liters in 2022-23.
- Blending Percentage: Rose from 1.53% to 12.06%, reaching 15.83% in July 2024.
- OMCs Target: Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) aim for a 20% ethanol blending target by the end of Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26, requiring approximately 1,100 crore litres of ethanol.
- Distillation Capacity: A total of 1,750 crore litres of ethanol distillation capacity is needed to meet blending requirements.
Challenges related to Biofuels
- Environmental Issues: Biofuel production can strain land and water resources, cause pollution, and alter cropping patterns. Producing one litre of ethanol from sugar requires about 2,860 litres of water.
- Food vs. Fuel Challenge: Concerns about balancing food security with energy security based on the choice of feedstock and production methods. The availability and cost of these feedstocks can fluctuate due to season, weather, market conditions, and policy changes.
- Conversion Efficiency and Yield: Ethanol production involves pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation, with varying efficiencies and yields depending on feedstock type, process technology, and conditions.
- Lignocellulosic Biomass: More abundant and diverse than sugarcane or corn, but requires more intensive and complex pretreatment and hydrolysis to break down the cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable sugars.
- Economic Viability: Conversion efficiency and yield affect the economic viability and environmental impact of the production process.
- Infrastructure and Distribution: Requires robust infrastructure for transporting, storing, and delivering feedstock and fuel, which can be costly and face logistical and regulatory challenges.
- Corrosive Nature: Ethanol is corrosive and hygroscopic, potentially damaging existing pipelines, tanks, and pumps designed for gasoline or diesel.
- Vehicle Compatibility and Performance: Vehicles need modifications to run on ethanol-blended fuels or pure ethanol, affecting engines, fuel systems, and maintenance practices.
- Energy Density: Ethanol has a lower energy density than gasoline, requiring more volume to provide the same amount of energy, leading to higher transportation and storage costs.
Way forward
- Production Boost: Diversify feedstock by using non-food sources and waste, support R&D for advanced biofuels, expand and modernize production facilities, and establish distilleries near fuel depots to reduce costs and enhance logistics.
- Policy and Market Mechanisms: Gradually raise the ethanol blending mandate beyond 20% by 2025, establish fixed-price contracts with oil companies to ensure market stability, and invest in R&D for optimizing blending ratios, engine compatibility, and conversion technologies.
- Technological Advancement: Invest in improved storage and transportation infrastructure, collaborate with automakers to develop ethanol-compatible engines, and enforce strict quality standards for ethanol to ensure performance and safety.
- Public Awareness and Education: Launch campaigns to educate consumers on the benefits of ethanol blending, address misconceptions, and encourage adoption. Ensure clear labelling of ethanol-blended fuels at stations to inform choices.
Conclusion
To fully harness the potential of biofuels, a multi-faceted approach is essential. This includes boosting production, refining policies, advancing technology, and raising public awareness. By addressing these areas, India can achieve greater energy security, economic benefits, and environmental sustainability.
Related Article: The complex path to biofuel sustainability
Reference: IE
Related PYQ
The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles? [UPSC CSE – 2023 Mains]
Practice Question
Examine the significance of India’s Ethanol Blending Program in bolstering energy security, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and mitigating environmental impacts. [250 words]