The editorial “Taking ethanol blending beyond E20” discusses India’s progress towards achieving its target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025. The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) program has become crucial in India’s green energy transition, with blending rates nearing 20%. To sustain this progress, it is essential to develop second-generation ethanol technologies that utilize agricultural residues instead of food crops. The sugar industry is central to India’s ethanol economy, but addressing feedstock diversity and developing flex-fuel vehicles are crucial next steps.
Ethanol blending plays a significant role in India’s energy transition by reducing oil imports, mitigating climate change, empowering rural economies, and driving technological innovation. The EBP program has saved approximately ₹1 lakh crore in foreign exchange by substituting 181 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil with ethanol blends since 2014. It has also cut CO2 emissions by 544 lakh metric tonnes, supporting India’s climate goals and reducing urban pollution. Additionally, ethanol production generates substantial rural income, providing an alternative revenue source for farmers.
However, there are key issues associated with ethanol blending in India, including the food vs. fuel security conflict, environmental and water stress from feedstock cultivation, supply chain and feedstock availability challenges, impact on vehicle fuel efficiency and consumer costs, infrastructure and logistics constraints, and barriers to petrol price reduction. To address these challenges, India can adopt measures such as diversifying its feedstock portfolio, implementing a transparent and dynamic pricing mechanism, accelerating flex-fuel vehicle penetration, expanding and modernizing ethanol storage and distribution infrastructure, promoting water-efficient feedstock cultivation practices, and fostering research and development in ethanol-to-hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels.
The government can also launch consumer awareness and infrastructure development campaigns, encourage sustainable land use through crop diversification incentives, and integrate circular bioeconomy models in rural areas. The Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana can accelerate these efforts by promoting sustainable biomass-based ethanol production, contributing to SDGs 7, 13, and 8. Overall, India’s EBP program has the potential to enhance energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and promote rural economic growth, but it requires sustained efforts to address the challenges and ensure sustainable progress beyond E20.
In the context of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, previous year questions have highlighted the importance of ethanol blending in India’s energy security and climate goals. For example, in 2010, a question asked about the energy crop that can be cultivated for ethanol, and the correct answer was maize. In 2020, a question asked about the raw materials that can be used for biofuel production, and the correct answer included cassava, damaged wheat grains, sugar beet, and rotten potatoes. These questions demonstrate the significance of ethanol blending in India’s energy policy and the need for sustained efforts to promote sustainable biofuel production.