Page 64 - Clean India Journal Magazine June 2019 Issue

WASTE SOLUTIONS

Increasing

Capacity of

Biofuels in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of reducing
oil imports to 67% of the requirement by 2022, and to 50% by
2030. India will need an alternate, cheaper, equally efficient
source of energy to substitute conventional coal, oil and

natural gas. It already exists, in abundance, in our country:
biofuels.

he total diesel percentage in petrol is Meerut, Bareilly and
market in India is around only 2% and Muzaffarnagar. The Sitapur
Tapproximately 25 substantially falling short project itself will spread
billion gallons per year, of of the targeted 5%. Biofuels across 20 acres and costing
which 80% is imported, into other than ethanol constitute `15.5 billion. The company
which less than 250 million a negligible percentage of will use bagasse, a sugarcane
gallons per year of biodiesel biofuels used for blending. by-product extracted during
is currently blended. India’s However, this dismal the production of sugar, to
oil industry should be situation has begun to generate biofuel.
mandated to procure and change. Recently, the Uttar
blend a higher percentage Pradesh government cleared US-based company
of biofuels. In Brazil - a six biofuel investment Aemetis Inc’s Universal
world leader in biofuels proposals worth almost Biofuels India subsidiary has
-- the current laws require `17 billion. These private been awarded a biodiesel
27% blended gasoline. In projects are proposed to supply contract with three
India, the ethanol blending be set up in five districts: Indian government-owned
Sitapur, Hapur, oil marketing companies.
The contract provides for
continuous

64 Clean India Journal www.cleanindiajournal.com
June 2019