Page 188 - CW E-Magazine (22-10-2024)

Special Report Special Report

Time for a pause on ethanol blending in gasoline guzzling crops. Making alcohol from burned only to add to air pollution) will (ICC) should also deliberate this issue
urgently.
rice should be banned. There are other generate more income to farmers.
uses of damaged rice, which is unfi t for
he India Bio-Energy & Tech from ‘damaged’ rice; and Rs. 6.87 per A.K. DAS human consumption (like in poultry Simultaneously, introduction of Till such time, ethanol blending in
Expo 2024 (IBETE) was held litre for ethanol from molasses. These Retd. Industrial Adviser feed). Even the global charity, Oxfam, hydrogen in transport sector should be gasoline beyond the level of 15% may
Tin New Delhi from September incentives have boosted ethanol output, Department of Chemicals & Petro- has called for an end to EU incentives given priority, as well as use of electric be held in abeyance.
2-4, 2024. At the inaugural session, the the Minister said, adding that maize’s chemicals, Government of India for crop-based biofuels. It is argued that vehicles.
Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural contribution to ethanol production has Email: amiyakantidas2010@gmail.com despite caps introduced in recent years, REFERENCES
Gas presented a detailed account of been raised to 36% in 2023-24 ethanol the EU continues to drive demand for Concluding remarks
India’s progress in the bioenergy sector supply year (ESY), beginning from According to AIPBA, last year food crops and land to be diverted into Achievement of blending up to 1. https://pib.gov.in/PressRelese
and its critical role in the country’s November, from nil in ESY 2021-22. about 3.5-mt of corn was consumed fuel production. The continued reli- 15% ethanol is a success story indeed. Detail.aspx?PRID=2050907
energy transformation. The Minister Additionally, he stated, supply of rice from to produce 1.3-bn litres of ethanol – a ance on crop-based biofuels to meet But considering the pitfalls of the 2. https://www.reuters.com/markets/
emphasised that bioenergy is increas- the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to four-fold rise over the previous year. the European target for greenhouse gas scheme, so far experienced, blending commodities/ethanol-push-turns-
ingly becoming a crucial alternative to ethanol distillers has resumed, allowing The association anticipates that not reductions is exacerbating global food beyond 15% within 2025 itself needs india-into-corn-importer-shaking-
fossil fuels, offering both environmental the purchase of up to 2.3-mt during more than 5-bn litres of ethanol can insecurity and price volatility, the cha- thorough deliberation and scrutiny. It up-global-market-2024-09-04/
benefi ts and economic opportunities, Aug-Oct 2024 through e-action. Starting come from sugarcane. So there appears rity has argued. It has also called for an was not clarifi ed in Ministers speech 3. https://www.euronews.com/
particularly in rural areas. The Minister from November 2024 (beginning of to be a need for 3-bn litres of ethanol end to political incentives by the end of where from the increased quantity of green/2024/09/13/global-charity-
also elaborated on the Government’s ESY 2024-25), the supply of sugar cane to come from corn, which will require decade(3). ethanol will come. Time has come for calls-for-end-to-eu-incentives-for-
strategic efforts to advance the bioenergy juice and syrup to ethanol distillers will 8-mt corn, forcing imports(2). the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural crop-based-biofuels
sector, highlighting its signifi cance in also commence(1). 2G alcohol from lignocellulosic Gas to make a critical review of results
reducing import dependence, saving Loud thoughts biomass of bending with experts from multiple ABOUT THE AUTHOR
foreign exchange and promoting a The other side of the narrative There used to be a highly effi cient Oil PSUs had planned the setting up disciplines including chemists, physi- Mr. Amiya Kanti
circular economy. Now some narrative about the other alcohol-based chemical industry in of 12 units to manufacture 2G alcohol cist, social scientists, economists, Das (born 1939) is
side of the blending programme. the country covering a large number from lignocellulosic biomass (agri- planners etc. The study should look a B.Sc (Hons.) and
He mentioned the success of India’s of chemicals since early 1960’s. This cultural wastes like straw, corn stalk, beyond the analysis of carbon foot- M.Sc in Chemistry
ethanol blending programme. It started A push by India to make more corn- industry slowly disappeared from etc.) across the country with a fi nancial print and crude import cuts, and con- from Calcutta Uni-
with 1.53% blending level in gasoline in based ethanol has turned Asia’s top corn country’s industrial map after ethanol outlay of Rs. 1,969.50-crore for the sider all economic and social aspect versity. Widely travel-
2014 and rose to 15% in 2024. Encour- exporter into a net importer for the fi rst blending picked up. Only a few units period 2018-19 to 2023-24. As stated relevant in an Indian context. led in Europe and
aged by this progress, the Government time in decades, squeezing, local poul- could sustain. All round efforts should earlier, only two – one each at Panipat India, he was a regular contributor
has set an ambitious target of reaching try producers and affecting global sup- be made to revive this industry, and the (Haryana) and at Numaligarh ( Assam) – In quantifying the cost benefi t vis- in chemical journals during 80’s
20% blending by 2025. This initiative ply chains. The jump in imports comes products may be marketed as ‘green have come to production. The imple- à-vis reduction in value of imports, and 90’s and is profi cient in German
has delivered signifi cant benefi ts, it after India hiked the procurement price chemicals.’ mentation of other units should be given the opportunity cost should be kept and Russian. Before superannua-
was stated, which includes saving of of ethanol made of corn to drive a shift top priority to augment the supply of in mind. This is the value or benefi ts tion on May 31, 1997 from the post
Rs. 99,104-crore in foreign exchange, away from sugar-cane based ethanol As stated by the Minister, 2.3-mt ethanol meant for blending. More such otherwise lost by selecting the blend- of Industrial Advisor in the Dept. of
reducing carbon dioxide (CO ) emissions for blending in gasoline. of rice is going to be released by plants should be planned on immediate ing process. Thinktanks including Niti Chemicals and Petrochemicals, he
2
by 51.9-mt and substituting 17.3-mt FCI for making of ethanol for burn- basis as there is no dearth of agricultural Aayog, The Energy Resources Insti- dealt with diverse chemical indus-
of crude oil. Under this programme, India usually exports 2-mt to 4-mt of ing in blends. This quantity of rice wastes across the country. More use tute (TERI), and industry associations tries for three decades.
the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) corn, but in 2024 exports are expected could satisfy the hunger of a sizeable of agricultural residue (which is now such as the Indian Chemical Council
disbursed Rs. 1,45,930-crore to distil- to drop to 0.45-mt, while the country section of the poor. When the idea
lers and Rs. 87,558-crore to farmers. is set to import a record 1-mt, mainly of ethanol blending was conceived, Chemical Weekly | Import-Export Data | Market Surveys
from Myanmar and Ukraine. Tradition- it was never an idea of making this
The Minister mentioned that two ally, the poultry and starch industry from rice. To give cash incentive/ Directories | Business Forums | Expositions
second-generation (2G) refi neries have absorb around 3.6-mt – most of India’s subsidy for public distribution or
been established in Panipat (Haryana) corn produced. After ethanol produc- agricultural inputs, grant-in-aid to The only organisation in India catering exclusively to the needs of the entire chemical industry
and Numaligarh (Assam) to convert tion started from corn last year, there farmers can be justified, but cash
agricultural residues like straw and was a shortfall of 5-mt as per All India incentive for a product made from Contact:
bamboo into ethanol. The Minister Poultry Breeders Association (AIPBA). food grains meant for burning lacks SEVAK PUBLICATIONS PVT. LTD.
recalled the various incentives for Now poultry feed and starch Industries strong logic. 602-B, Godrej Coliseum, K.J. Somaiya Hospital Road,
ethanol production. These include: are battling with distillers to get their Behind Everard Nagar, Sion (E), Mumbai 400 022.
Rs. 9.72 per litre for ethanol derived share of raw material, and this battle is It is pertinent to remember that rice Phone: +91-22-24044471 / 72;
from maize; Rs. 8.46 per litre for ethanol pushing the corn price high. (paddy) is one of the highest water- Email: admin@chemicalweekly.com

188 Chemical Weekly October 22, 2024 Chemical Weekly October 22, 2024 189

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