New Delhi: On Thursday, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi stated that the Food Ministry asked Niti Aayog to raise the ethanol blending target for petrol to 25 pc from the existing 20 pc and create a detailed plan. India, ranked as the third-largest ethanol producer and consumer globally, originally aimed for a 20 pc ethanol blending target with petrol by 2030 through its Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, but this goal was later changed to 2025-26. Joshi stated that they have requested Niti Aayog to raise it to 25 percent and develop a plan at the 2nd India Sugar and Bio Energy Conference hosted by ISMA.
The minister stated that the ethanol blending rate has increased to 13.6 percent from 1.53 percent in the 2013-14 supply year, attributing the increase to the collaborative efforts of the government and industry. The expansion of ethanol production capacity to 1,623 crore liters was a factor in the increase, with approximately 250 distilleries involved. Joshi emphasized efforts to boost ethanol production by permitting the utilization of sugarcane juice/syrup, B-heavy, and C-heavy molasses for ethanol production in the 2024-25 supply year. The government has permitted the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to sell 23 lakh tonnes of rice to ethanol distilleries that are based on grains.
Joshi mentioned that the Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, which promotes the production of 2G and 3G ethanol, has been revised and prolonged until 2028-29 to offer financial assistance to advanced biofuel initiatives. He urged for collaboration between Brazil and India, the top two sugar producers globally, in manufacturing biofuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and biojet fuel. The future lies in bioenergy. Joshi stated that the government and industry must collaborate with innovation, teamwork, and accountability to attain sustainable growth for a developed India by 2047.
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