Ethanol blending

Why is in news? Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) visits R&D centre Praj Matrix’s

• With an objective to understand in depth innovations in indigenous technology developments and debottlenecking any growth impediments in ethanol blending, Secretary Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Shri Sudhanshu Pandey along with a team from Food Corporation Of India (FCI) visited R&D centre Praj Matrix’s recently.
• The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) is playing pivotal role in achieving 10% ethanol blending in petrol (E10) by ensuring feedstock supply alignment with enhanced ethanol production capacity build-up.
• The low carbon innovative technologies are helping India progress towards Net Zero goals assisting attaining COP 26 goals for the country while facilitating Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan by meeting 20% petrol requirements from ethanol and strengthening energy security of the country.
• This would also help save foreign exchange for the country worth about Rs. 30000 crore per annum.
• This would ensure an alternative market for farmers’ produce like rice, maize helping them achieve better returns, more than MSP and also faster payment from sugar mills.
• All these activities are leading to transforming Indian Farming community from ‘Anna Daata’ to ‘Urja Daata’.
• It is one of the principal biofuels, which is naturally produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes such as ethylene hydration.
• Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP): It is aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on crude oil imports, cutting carbon emissions and boosting farmers’ incomes.
• The Government of India has advanced the target for 20% ethanol blending in petrol (also called E20) to 2025 from 2030.
• By blending ethanol into gasoline, it can reduce the amount of petrol required to run a car, thereby reducing dependence on imported, expensive, and polluting petroleum.