Ethanol

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Urgent need to stop licences for new sugar factories: Gadkari

Concept –

Ethanol is basically alcohol of 99%-plus purity, which can be used for blending with petrol.
Produced mainly from molasses, a byproduct of sugar manufacture.
Ethanol is a bio-fuel obtained primarily from sugarcane, damaged food grains such as wheat and broken rice.
It has a higher octane number than gasoline and hence, it improves the petrol octane number.
Mixing it with petrol eases the pressure on India, which is the world’s third-biggest oil importer, and also helps farmers as it provides them with an alternate source of income?
It is also environment-friendly as agriculture waste is less polluting.
Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, ethanol is also considered as renewable fuel.

Ethanol blending programme in India:

The Centre had “launched pilot projects in 2001 wherein 5 percent ethanol blended petrol was supplied to retail outlets”.
The aim is to promote the use of alternative and environmental friendly fuels.
Implemented by the Ministry or Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
Success of field trials eventually paved the way for the launching of the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme in January, 2003 for sale of 5 percent ethanol blended petrol in nine States and four UTs.
Currently, 5 per cent of ethanol is blended with petrol in India.
The government of India has advanced the target for 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol (also called E20) to 2025 from 2030. E20 will be rolled out from April 2023.
The central government has also released an expert committee report on the Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India by 2025.
The roadmap proposes a gradual rollout of ethanol-blended fuel to achieve E10 fuel supply by April 2022 and phased rollout of E20 from April 2023 to April 2025.

To know about National Policy on Biofuels, please click here.