New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that biofuel is a synonym for protecting nature and for India it means green and environment saving fuel.
Dedicating the second generation ethanol plant of India Oil Corporation to the nation, on the occasion of World Bio-fuel day, Prime Minister Modi said this plant will reduce pollution in Delhi, Haryana and NCR and contributing the farmers in protecting the environment.
Mr. Modi, who spoke via video conference, stated that the ethanol plant will provide a permanent solution to the problem of stubble burning on farms.
Recounting the benefits of the plant, Modi said mother earth would be freed from the pain that was caused by burning stubble and the country would get alternative fuel.
Besides, stubble will become a source of income for farmers, Mr. Modi said, adding that ethanol production has increased from 40 crore litres to 400 crore litres in eight years.
Terming the ethanol plant’s just beginning, he said due to the mixing of ethanol in petrol, in the last 7-8 years, about 50 thousand crore rupees of the country have been saved from going abroad and about the same amount has gone to the farmers of the country because of ethanol blending.
He stated that only 40 crore litres of ethanol were produced in the country eight years ago; now, the production is around 400 crore litres.
Talking about the role of technologies in the production of ethanol, Kishan Karunakaran, CEO of Buyofuel, said that, “The technological evolution in biofuel manufacturing has significantly improved in the last five years.” The types of waste converted to biofuels have increased extensively.”
“Now, we can convert a wide variety of wastes to biofuels, which has pushed the prices of biofuels much lower than alternatives.” “Leaping towards a sustainable future, we have created a platform for trading biofuel-based commodities in a quick, accessible, and secured manner with verified buyers and sellers,” he told The Environment.
The dedication of the plant is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to boost the production and usage of biofuels in the country. This is in line with the Prime Minister’s constant endeavour to transform the energy sector into being more affordable, accessible, efficient, and sustainable.
The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built at an estimated cost of over Rs. 900 crore by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and is located close to the Panipat Refinery.
Based on state-of-the-art indigenous technology, the project will turn a new chapter in India’s waste-to-wealth endeavours by utilising about 2 lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around 3 crore litres of Ethanol annually.
The project will have zero liquid discharge. By reducing the burning of rice straw (parali), the project will reduce Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about 3 lakh tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions per annum, which can be understood as equivalent to replacing nearly 63,000 cars annually on the country’s roads.
