From fields to ethanol fuel tank How agriculture is powering the economy

From fields to ethanol fuel tank How agriculture is powering the economy: India is one of the largest consumers of petroleum products worldwide. And India imports nearly 82% of its crude oil from nations like Iraq, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. In the financial year 2020-21, India’s petroleum imports reached 185 million metric tonnes, with a total expenditure of $55 billion.

• The Indian government is actively looking for various solutions to address the problem of rising oil and petroleum imports and the government approach is to boost renewable energy production and use ethanol and biofuel as a fuel alternative.
• The current 10% ethanol blending in India has saved 53,894 crore rupees in foreign exchange.
• By the financial year 2024, the government aims to blend 20% ethanol with petrol. Ethanol has a lower value than fuel, and it is less polluting than traditional fuels, with environmentally friendly practices.
• Ethanol blending contributes to the Reduction of petroleum imports, the Acceleration of economic growth, and the Mitigation of climate change.
• Ethanol blending contributes:
  • Reduce petrol import
  • Boost economic growth
  • Tackle climate change
• Ethanol plays a major role in reducing the import of petrol. It not only boosts the agricultural sector but also significant role in addressing climate change challenges.
• Currently, India ranks the top three ethanol producers worldwide, following the United States and Brazil.

Biofuel

Definition: When we convert organic matter, like biomass, directly into liquid fuels, then we call as biofuels.

 Present-day two primary types of biofuels take the lead in production:

1) Ethanol (sugar-based ethanol)

2) biodiesel (vegetable oil-based biodiesel)

Ethanol

Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is a renewable fuel, is a type of biofuel that can be produced from various plant materials, collectively known to as biomass.

GLOBAL ETHANOL INDUSTRY

In the world, major crops for ethanol production include starchy crops like corn, sorghum, and barley. And sugar crops like sugarcane and sugar beets. in UAS corn as the major source of ethanol production.

Brazil is a pioneer in ethanol production by focusing on varieties of sugarcane low in sucrose but high in biomass, which is known as “Energy cane”.

Global biofuel Alliance

Exploring the World’s First 100% Ethanol-Powered Vehicle

To promote ethanol, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched the world’s first electric flex-fuel vehicle. It replaces fossil fuels (oil) with flex-fuel and biofuel. And it runs on 100% ethanol, its world’s first BS-VI electrified flex-fuel vehicle.

This first-generation biofuel is extracted from food crops which contain energy molecules like sugars, oils, and cellulose. Ethanol can also be produced from non-consumable damaged food grains such as wheat and rice.

Exploring the process of ethanol manufacturing

The common method for converting biomass into ethanol is known as fermentation. In this process, we added microorganisms like bacteria and yeast, which play a major role in breaking down plant sugars and transforming them into ethanol.

Ethanol Plant Section

Step by Step: Navigating the Key Sections of an Ethanol Plant

1.  Distillation section 

2.  Fermentation section

3.  Boiler section

4.  Turbine section

5.  The raw material storage section

6.  The final product output section

Ethanol Blending

Ethanol + Gasoline /Petrol is called ethanol blending.

A Decade of Progress: Ethanol Blending in Petrol (2013-2022)

2013	1.53% Ethanol blending in petrol
2019	5% Ethanol blending in petrol
2020	8.10% Ethanol blending in petrol
2022	10% Ethanol blending in petrol

Advantages [From fields to ethanol fuel tank- how agriculture is powering the economy]

• Environmentally Friendly
• Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions (CO2)
• Between 2022 and 2030, ethanol has the potential to reduce a total of 68 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in India.
• If crop waste or crop residue into biofuels can prevent 3 billion tons of CO2 emissions.
• Promotes future energy security and reduces dependence on oil imports.
• Boosts the rural economy by creating opportunities and income.

Disadvantage [From fields to ethanol fuel tank how agriculture is powering the economy]

• According to the NITI Aayog report, biofuel production in India presents two major challenges: risks to food security and water resources.  Because rice and sugarcane are highly water-consuming crops.
• Need for additional government support for the sugar industry in terms of ethanol production.

FAQ