India’s green push for second-generation bioethanol

India’s green push for second-generation bioethanol

Why 2G bioethanol?

Ethanol-blended petrol is regarded as one of the most acceptable alternative fuel blends for transportation; however, the use of molasses and broken grains for its production raises the question of food vs fuel. Second-generation (2G) bioethanol could help to secure long-term sustainability with improved economics for the Indian biofuel market.

Recently GOI announced the launch of the “Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries” September 23, 2022.

“Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries”: https://optimizeias.com/mission-integrated-biorefineries/

• The biorefineries aim to produce ethanol. Blended petrol with 20 per cent ethanol is also known as
• India aims to sell only E20 blended petrol from
• In 2021, GOI launched a report, Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in Indiaby 2025,to set a plan for the phase-wise rollout of E20 in the country.
• About 1,016 crore litres of ethanol will be required to achieve 20 per cent blending by 2025-26, as per the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas estimation. Sugarcane-derived molasses and broken or surplus grains like rice and maise are primarily used to generate ethanol.
• Presently, these two feedstocks can generate about 684 crore litres/year of ethanol collectively, which is proposed to be expanded to 1,500 crore litres by 2025.
• This, in turn, will necessitate the production of about 165 lakh metric tonnes of grains and 60 lakh metric tonnes of sugar in the year 2025 for ethanol utilisation. Besides the food versus fuel debate, the move will also significantly increase the water footprint

Is there any alternative?

• Yes, agricultural or lignocellulosic waste.
• India is the second-largest producer of agricultural waste in the world after China and generates about 500 million tonnes of agricultural waste per year, of which more than half is either discarded or burned.
• Inappropriate management of this agricultural waste generates greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, endangering both people and the environment.
• Second-generation (2G) bioethanol production technology has the potential to tap this agricultural waste and convert it into ethanol.
• Twelve commercial plants and ten demonstration plants of 2G biorefineries (using agricultural waste as substrate) have already been proposed to be built under the Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (JaivIndhan-Vatavaran Anukool Fasal Awashesh Nivaran) Yojana in regions with adequate biomass supply.

PM JI-VAN envisages setting up of 12 commercial scale 2G bioethanol projects and 10 demonstration scale 2G bioethanol projects based on non-food biomass feedstocks and other renewable feedstocks with a total financial outlay of Rs. 1969.50 crore.

The scheme will provide support to these 2G bioethanol Projects with a Viability Gap Funding in two phases:

• Phase-I (2018-19 to 2022- 23): wherein six commercial projects and five demonstration projects will be supported.
• Phase-II (2020-21 to 2023-24): wherein remaining six commercial projects and five demonstration projects will be supported.