Related Topics

Biofuels
2021 JUL   14
Methanol Economy
2020 FEB   22

National Policy on Bio-Fuel

2020 FEB 28

Preliminary   > Industry and Infrastructure   >   Industrial Policies   >   Biofuels

WHY IN NEWS?

  • Indian scientists from ICGEB engineer microorganism to boost biofuel production
  • Researchers at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) are developing a method to improve the growth rate and sugar content of a marine cyanobacterium called Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002.
  • Biofuel production is dependent on the availability of low-cost and sustainable supply of sugars and a nitrogen source. The sugars typically come from plants.

BIOFUELS

  • Biofuels are the fuels that can be produced from organic matter, or biomass, such as corn or sugar, vegetable oils or waste feedstocks. Example: Bioethanol, Biodiesel
  • As biofuels emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) than conventional fuels (eg:- Petrol) they can be blended with existing fuels as an effective way of reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector.
  • The use of biofuels have grown over the past decade, driven largely by the introduction of new energy policies in Europe, the USA and Brazil that call for more renewable, lower-carbon fuels for transport. Today biofuels represent around 3% of road transport fuels in use around the world.
  • In India, the National Policy on Biofuels, released by the Government of India in 2018, envisages production of biofuel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO). Also, the Policy has the objective of reaching 20% ethanol-blending and 5% biodiesel-blending by the year 2030.
  • Government envisages an indicative target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of bio-diesel in diesel by 2030.
  • Under EBP programme, ethanol blending in petrol is being undertaken by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in whole country except island Union Territory (UT) of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep wherein, OMCs blend up to 10 % ethanol in petrol under the EBP Programme.
  • The policy also allows conversion of surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol, based on the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee.

Prelims Question

Q. Consider the following statements regarding National Policy on Bio-Fuel:
1.The policy allows conversion of surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol, based on the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee.
2.Government envisages an indicative target of 5% blending of ethanol in petrol and 20% blending of bio-diesel in diesel by 2030
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a)1 only
b)2 only
c)Both 1 and 2
d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to the Prelims Question

Tags