Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The foundation stone for Second Generation (2G) Ethanol Bio-refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited being set up at village Baulasingha, Bhatli Tehsil, Bargarh ditrict, Odisha was laid by Governor of Odisha Professor Ganeshi Lal on October 10, 2018. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan along with several dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The Bio-refinery, the first of its kind to be set up, will have a capacity to produce three crore litres of fuel grade Ethanol annually using Rice straw as the feedstock. Ethanol produced from this plant will be blended with Petrol. The cost of the project is around Rs 100 Crore, according to a PIB release.
Biofuels have assumed importance recently due to the growing energy security needs and environmental concerns. Several countries have put forth different mechanism and incentives to encourage production and use of biofuels to suit their domestic requirements. India has surplus biomass availability of about 120-160 MMT annually which if converted, has the potential to yield 3,000 crore litres of ethanol. The National Biofuel Policy of India 2018 targets 20% Ethanol blending to Petrol by year 2030.
However, due to non-availability of Ethanol, the current Ethanol blending in Petrol is about 3 to 4%. Setting up of 2G Ethanol plants will help achieve the target of Ethanol blending in Petrol.