Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

In News

• As per the Economic Survey 2021-2022, the ethanol supply in the country to enable blending with petrol is likely to reach 302 crore litres by the end of Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2020-2021.

About

• The government has been promoting the use of ethanol as a blend stock with main automotive fuel like petrol in line with the National Policy on Biofuels (NBP) -2018 under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.
• India advances the target for 20% ethanol blending in petrol (E20) to 2025 from 2030. The ethanol blending target for ESY 2021-22 is 10%.

What is Ethanol?

• An organic chemical compound produced from biomass (mainly from sugarcane in India).
• Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, ethanol is also considered a renewable fuel.
• High oxygen content allows engines to combust fuel more effectively.

Benefits & Significance

• Improves energy security & self-sufficiency measures.
• Reduce the country’s crude oil import bill.
• Helps decrease emissions & creates rural & urban employment opportunities.

• Strategically important as goes well with government initiatives like Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill Development, etc.
• Offers great opportunity to integrate with targets of doubling farmers income, import reduction & waste to wealth creation.

Challenges

• Manufacturing efficient vehicles & time consuming regulatory clearances.
• Unregulated emissions of carbonyl emissions & no reduction in NOx.
• Expensive due to higher evaporative emissions from fuel tanks & dispensing equipment.
• Availability of sufficient feedstock & restrictions on inter-state movement of ethanol.

Related Indian Initiatives

• Pradhan Mantri Jaiv Indhan-Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran (JI-VAN) Yojana
• Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources (GOBAR)-DHAN Scheme
• National Policy on Biofuels 2018
• Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

• Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO)

Suggestions

• Address non-availability of domestic feedstock.
• Companies need better storage, handling, blending & dispensing infrastructure.
• Formulate a single-window clearances system to accord speedy approvals.
• Emissions change monitoring & assessment to enhance emission reduction potential.

Source: TH