Why in the News?

Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that India is now the world’s third-largest producer and consumer of ethanol. Speaking at the India Sugar and Bio-Energy conference, he highlighted the government’s efforts to boost the sugar industry and renewable energy. He also praised farmers for their role in transforming from food providers (Anna Dattas) to energy providers (Urja Dattas). India’s ethanol blending program has saved US$ 11.80 billion (Rs. 99000 crores) in foreign exchange since 2014.

Ethanol

• It is also known as ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is a clear, colorless liquid with a distinct odor.
• It is 99.9% pure alcohol.
• It is considered a renewable fuel and can be produced from sugarcane, maize and wheat, which have high starch content.
• It can be blended with gasoline to enhance combustion efficiency due to its oxygen content, leading to fewer emissions.
• Uses
  • Fuel: Common blends include E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) and E85 (up to 85% ethanol). It reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to pure gasoline.
  • It is used as a solvent in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care products.
  • It is used in producing chemicals, plastics, and synthetic fibers.
  • It is the primary ingredient in alcoholic beverages like beer, wine, and spirits.

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

• It was launched in 2003 with a 5% blending of ethanol in petrol.
• It is an initiative by the Government of India to promote the use of ethanol, a renewable and environment-friendly fuel, in petrol.
• It aims to reduce the import of fuels from other countries, conserve foreign exchange and increase value addition in the sugar industry.
• The Government has a 10% blending target (E10) for mixing ethanol with petrol by 2021-22 and a 20% blending target (E20) by 2025-26.
• India has been able to substitute 17.3 million metric tonnes of crude oil imports since 2014 by blending ethanol in fuel.
• The government has paid Rs 1.45 trillion to distillers and Rs 87,558 crore to farmers since 2014.
• The use of ethanol in fuel has reduced carbon emissions by 51.9 million metric tonnes over the past decade.