Growing environmental concerns and unstable oil prices are forcing governments globally to diversify energy sources and explore alternative ways to meet energy needs. Even in India there is an underlying urgency to usher in cleaner and sustainable energy resources to sustain economic growth.In India, the pursuit of greener fuels has led to a focus on CNG, LPG, ethanol blended fuel, biodiesel, hydrogen energy and electric vehicles.
In the short term, the major focus by various state governments has been on CNG and LPG. In Delhi, all public buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis have been successfully converted to CNG. It's an accepted fact that CNG leads to a significant reduction in pollution - carbon monoxide emissions are more than 70% less for auto-rickshaws and more than 90% lesser for petrol passenger cars. Twenty cities across the country are expected to be covered by CNG by 2010. There are currently more than 4 lakh CNG/LPG vehicles in India, with increasing number of private buyers now entering the fold.
The government is currently implementing an ethanol-blending programme and considering initiatives in the form of mandates for biodiesel. Due to these strategies and the growing energy demand from the transport sector, biofuels can be assured of a significant market in India. On September 12, 2008, government announced its 'National Biofuel Policy'. It aims to meet 20% of India's diesel demand with fuel derived from plants.
Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, it is also considered a renewable fuel
Ethanol can be used as an automotive fuel by itself and can be mixed with gasoline to form what has been called 'gasohol'. Over one billion gallons of ethanol are blended with gasoline every year in the US. Because the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, it allows the engine to burn the fuel completely, resulting in better efficiency. Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, it is also considered a renewable fuel.
In the first phase of the project, ethanol-blended petrol is being supplied through retail outlets in nine States and four Union Territories. Petrol blended with 5% ethanol would be supplied by petrol pumps all over the country under the second phase towards the end of the year. Ethanol blending would be increased to 10% in the third phase of the programme.
The main criticism for Ethanol is the diversion of viable agricultural land from production of food crops of 'fuel crops', which may lead to spiraling of food prices. The most politically and morally acceptable choice currently seems to be biofuel development through cultivation and processing of Jatropha plant seeds, which are rich in oil. Jatropha provides immediate economic benefits at the local level since it grows well in dry marginal non-agricultural lands, thereby allowing villagers and farmers to leverage non-farm land for income generation. And since Jatropha oil is carbon-neutral, large-scale production will improve the country's carbon emissions profile.
- Sumit Arora
(The Financial Express: 21.3.2009)
