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Decarbonization Avenue : Biofuels

Biofuels typically refer to liquid fuels produced from biomass. Biofuels are of high importance mainly owing to their use as transportation fuels, to partially or fully substitute gasoline and diesel. The two prominent biofuels in this context are ethanol (for petrol/gasoline replacement) and biodiesel (for diesel replacement).

 

Growth Potential

India has been aggressively pursuing biofuels to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and to cut down greenhouse gas emissions. The country aims to achieve a 20% ethanol blending with gasoline and a 5% blending with biodiesel by 2030. This initiative is part of the National Policy on Biofuels 2018, which outlines a strategic vision for biofuel adoption.

 

Production and Use

  • Ethanol: India primarily produces ethanol from sugarcane molasses, a byproduct of sugar production. In 2020, India produced approximately 2.5 billion liters of ethanol. The government aims to increase ethanol production to 12 billion liters by 2030 to meet the 20% ethanol blending target with gasoline.
  • Biodiesel: Biodiesel in India is produced from non-edible oilseeds, waste cooking oil, and animal fats. As of 2020, India produced around 1.2 billion liters of biodiesel. The target is to increase this to 6 billion liters by 2030 for a 5% blending with diesel.

 

Carbon Emission Reductions

  • Achieving the target of 20% ethanol blending by 2030 could reduce CO? emissions by around 50 million tonnes annually, as ethanol emits fewer pollutants compared to gasoline.
  • Biodiesel blending at 5% could save approximately 6 million tonnes of CO? emissions per year, given its cleaner burn compared to conventional diesel.

 

Economic and Environmental Benefits

  • Energy Security: Biofuels enhance energy security by reducing India's reliance on imported crude oil. India imports about 80% of its crude oil needs, and biofuels provide a domestic alternative.
  • Rural Development: Biofuel production creates rural employment opportunities and boosts the agricultural sector. It can provide direct employment to over 1 million people by 2030, including farming, processing, and logistics.
  • Waste Management: Biofuels help manage waste effectively. Converting waste cooking oil and animal fats into biodiesel addresses waste disposal issues while providing a clean fuel source.

 

Key Technology 

  • Second Generation (2G) Biofuels: These are produced from non-food biomass such as agricultural residues and woody crops.
  • Third Generation (3G) Biofuels: Derived from algae, these biofuels offer higher yields and minimal land and water usage. Research and pilot projects are underway to optimize algal biofuel production.
  • Feedstock Diversification: Diversifying feedstock sources to include non-food crops and waste materials will address the food vs. fuel debate. Initiatives to use bamboo, grasses, and other fast-growing plants as feedstock are underway. Promoting the cultivation of energy crops like Jatropha and Pongamia on degraded lands could provide additional biomass for biodiesel production without competing with food crops.
  • Pyrolysis: This thermochemical process converts biomass into bio-oil, which can be further refined into biodiesel. It increases efficiency and scalability of biofuel production.
  • Biomass-to-Liquid (BtL) Technologies: These convert solid biomass into liquid fuels, offering potential for higher efficiency and scalability.
  • Carbon Capture and Utilization: Implementing carbon capture technologies at ethanol fermentation facilities can further reduce the carbon footprint of biofuel production. Captured CO? can be utilized in various industrial applications.
  • Vehicle Engine Customizations: Customizing vehicle engines to optimize performance with higher biofuel blends is essential for broader adoption. Flex-fuel vehicles, capable of running on varying proportions of ethanol blends, are being promoted.

 

Challenges

  • Feedstock Availability: Scaling biofuel production faces challenges like ensuring a consistent and adequate supply of suitable feedstock.
  • Environmental Concerns: Large-scale cultivation of crops for biofuels can lead to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and other environmental issues.

Decarbonization potential

The decarbonization potential of biofuels in India is substantial, with various factors contributing to their effectiveness.

Key Technology

  • Achieving the 20% blending target by 2030 could reduce CO? emissions by around 50 million tonnes annually
  • A 5% blending target could save approximately 6 million tonnes of CO? emissions per year.
  • These measures could prevent around 56 million tonnes of CO? emissions annually by 2030.
  • India to blend 1% of sustainable aviation fuel with jet fuel by 2027, increasing to 2% by 2028.
  • Segregating waste at the source and developing waste-to-energy plants can convert municipal solid waste into biofuels, reducing landfill usage and methane emissions.
  • Establishing biomass trading platforms to facilitate the collection and mobilization of agricultural residues, animal dung, and poultry litter. 
  • Promoting flex-fuel vehicles and collaborating with vehicle manufacturers to support higher biofuel blends. India's prototype of the world’s first BS-6 Stage-II, Electrified Flex fuel vehicle, showcases the potential in adopting biofuels at scale.

Industries impacted

  • Agriculture & farming
  • Airlines & aviation
  • Automobiles & auto components
  • Chemicals & petrochemicals
  • Food & beverages
  • Logistics
  • Marine transport
  • Oil & gas
  • Rail transport Retail
  • Road transport
  • Travel & hospitality
  • Waste management

Themes & Topics

  • Sources

    • Plant & plant-based products

    • Animal & human waste

    • Residential & industrial organic waste

  • Ethanol

    • First generation

    • Second generation

      • Cellulosic ethanol

  • Biodiesel

    • First generation

    • Second generation

      • From non edible oils

  • Methanol

  • Butanol

  • Biogas

    • RNG

  • Third generation biofuels

    • Algae fuels

    • Biomass to liquid

  • Sustainable aviation biofuels

  • Renewable propane

  • Non-food energy crop for biofuels

    • Miscanthus

    • Switchgrass

    • Bamboo

    • Jatropha

    • Eucalyptus

    • Pongamia

    • Algae

  • Drop-in replacements

    • Biogasoline

    • Renewable diesel

  • Technologies

    • Fermentation

    • Transesterification

    • Anaerobic digestion

    • Pyrolysis

    • Gasification

    • Hydrothermal liquefaction

    • Hydrogenation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Biofuel end uses

    • Transport fuel

    • Heating fuel for industrial & residential sectors

    • Fuel for power generation

  • Automotive technology development

    • For biodiesel

      • B20

      • B100

    • For ethanol

      • E20

      • E100

  • Biorefinery product basket

    • Biofuels

    • Biochar

    • Proteins

    • Lipids

    • Starch/sugar

    • Animal & fish feed

    • Bioplastics & bio-materials

  • Education/capacity building

    • For energy crop production

    • For R&D

    • For end user segments

  • Geographical trends & policies

    • North America

    • South America

    • Europe

    • Asia

    • Middle East & Africa

    • Oceania

  • Collaboration & partnerships

    • With feedstock providers

    • With offtakers

  • Use of IT & digital solutions

  • Case studies

  • Economics

  • Challenges

    • Feedstock challenges

    • Technology challenges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Category: Renewable Energy

  • Utility Scale Solar PV
  • Distributed Solar PV
  • Solar Thermal
  • Wind Power
  • Biomass for Heating & Power
  • Biofuels
  • Hydro Power
  • Geothermal Energy

    • All Decarbonization Avenues @ EAI


    Renewable Energy :

  • Utility Scale Solar PV |
  • Distributed Solar PV |
  • Solar Thermal |
  • Wind Power |
  • Biomass for Heating & Power |
  • Biofuels |
  • Hydro Power |
  • Geothermal Energy |

    • Energy Efficiency :

  • Industrial Waste Heat Recovery |
  • Low Carbon Thermal Power |
  • Energy Efficient Industrial Equipment |
  • Smart Grids |
  • Heat Pumps |
  • Digital for Decarbonization |
  • Energy Efficient Buildings |

    • Energy Storage :

  • Green hydrogen |
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    • Agriculture & Food :

  • Sustainable Forestry |
  • Regenerative Agriculture |
  • Smart Farming |
  • Low Carbon Food |
  • Agro Waste Management |

    • Waste Management :

  • Reducing Food Waste |
  • Solid Waste Management |

    • Materials :

  • Bio-based Materials |
  • Advanced Materials |
  • Product Use Efficiency |
  • Industrial Resource Efficiency |

    • Water :

  • Water Use Efficiency |

    • Decarbonizing Industries :

  • Low Carbon Metals |
  • Low Carbon Chemicals & Fertilizers |
  • Low Carbon Construction Materials |
  • Low Carbon Textiles & Fashion |
  • Corporate Carbon Management |
  • Decarbonizing Oil & Gas Sector |

    • Low Carbon Mobility :

  • Electric Mobility |
  • Low Carbon Trucking |
  • Low Carbon Marine Transport |
  • Low Carbon Aviation |
  • Low Carbon ICE Vehicles |
  • Mass Transit |

    • GHG Management :

  • C2V - CO2 to Value |
  • CO2 Capture & Storage |
  • Reducing Emissions from Livestock |
  • Reducing Non-CO2 Industrial & Agricultural Emissions |
  • Managing Large Carbon Sinks |

    • Communities :

  • Low Carbon Lifestyles |
  • Low Carbon Cities |

    • Finance :

  • Climate Finance |

    • Platforms :

  • Multi-stakeholder Collaboration |
  • Low Carbon Accelerators |

    • Moonshots :

  • Moonshots |

    • India Decarbonization Avenues


    LOW CARBON ENERGY

    LOW CARBON RESOURCES

    LOW CARBON INDUSTRY & TRANSPORT

    LOW CARBON FACILITATORS