Hardeep Singh Puri Highlights India’s Bio-Energy Progress at IBETE 2024
New Delhi, India – At the opening session of the India Bio-Energy & Tech Expo 2024 (IBETE), Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, announced significant progress in India’s bio-energy sector. The ethanol blending percentage has increased from 1.53% in 2014 to 15% in 2024, with a goal of reaching 20% by 2025.
Over the past decade, this initiative has saved Rs 99,014 crore in foreign exchange, reduced CO2 emissions by 519 lakh metric tons, and replaced 173 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil. The economic impact includes payments of Rs 1,45,930 crore to distillers and Rs 87,558 crore to farmers.
Minister Puri emphasized the importance of bioenergy as an alternative to fossil fuels, offering environmental and economic benefits, especially in rural areas. The government’s strategy includes ethanol and biodiesel blending, Compressed Biogas (CBG), Sustainable Aviation Fuels, biomass utilization, Biohydrogen, and waste-to-energy solutions.
E20 fuel is now available at over 15,600 retail outlets across India. The Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana has been crucial in financing advanced biofuel projects. Two second-generation refineries in Panipat and Numaligarh convert agricultural residues into ethanol, reducing pollution and enhancing energy security.
The government has introduced incentives for ethanol production, including Rs 9.72 per litre for ethanol from maize and Rs 8.46 per litre for ethanol from damaged rice. These incentives have increased maize’s contribution to ethanol production to 36% in the 2023-24 Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) from 0% in 2021-22.
The government has resumed supplying FCI rice to ethanol distilleries and will begin supplying sugarcane juice and syrup from November 2024. Minister Puri stressed the need to diversify feedstocks for ethanol production to ensure security and avoid over-reliance on a single source.
A major milestone was the launch of E100 fuel at over 400 retail outlets nationwide. Minister Puri urged Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, to encourage automobile manufacturers to produce vehicles compatible with E100 fuel. He clarified that ethanol blending enhances engine performance and efficiency.
Puri praised the automobile industry for developing retrofit kits for older vehicles, promoting biofuel adoption. He also discussed the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), established during India’s G20 presidency, which aims to share knowledge, advance technology, and develop policies to tap into the USD 500 billion biofuels opportunity.
The India Bio-Energy & Tech Expo 2024, organized by the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE) and MMACTIV Sci-Tech Communications Ltd., is being held at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, from September 2nd to 4th, 2024. Gadkari and Puri inaugurated the event, which focuses on driving growth in India’s bioenergy sector and highlights key government policies and initiatives.
Doubts Revealed
Hardeep Singh Puri -: Hardeep Singh Puri is an Indian politician and the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He helps make decisions about energy and fuel in India.
Bio-Energy -: Bio-energy is energy made from plants and other organic materials. It is a way to produce power that is better for the environment.
IBETE 2024 -: IBETE stands for India Bio-Energy & Tech Expo 2024. It is an event where people talk about new technologies and progress in bio-energy in India.
Ethanol Blending -: Ethanol blending means mixing ethanol, which is a type of alcohol made from plants, with petrol to make fuel for vehicles. It helps reduce pollution and saves money.
Foreign Exchange -: Foreign exchange is the money a country uses to buy things from other countries. Saving foreign exchange means India spends less money buying fuel from other countries.
CO2 Emissions -: CO2 emissions are the release of carbon dioxide gas into the air, mostly from burning fossil fuels. Reducing CO2 emissions helps fight climate change.
E20 and E100 Fuels -: E20 and E100 fuels are types of ethanol-blended fuels. E20 has 20% ethanol and E100 is pure ethanol. They are used to make vehicles run cleaner.
Dwarka -: Dwarka is a place in Delhi, India. It is where the India Bio-Energy & Tech Expo 2024 was held.
Incentives -: Incentives are rewards or benefits given to encourage people to do something. The government gives incentives to support the use of bio-energy.