The world is rapidly heading toward the quick accession of EVs(Electronics vechicle), but In EV futute India also trying to achieve ‘dual-fuel vehicles.The government of India started giving its approval for setting up 100% ethanol filling stations, and already have been inaugurated two such facilities in Pune, Maharashtra. India currently allows 20% ethanol to be blended into fuel.
Ethanol, a by-product in the production of sugar, can be an excellent substitute for petrol as a fuel mix. India is the highest populous country the shift to domestic ethanol production is much beneficial to achieve Atmanirbar, and reduce the rely on crude oil imports to fuel and its transportation sector, adding that it would also minimize the pollution. The dule fule oil is is much more afforadable considering its production from domestic crop(sugar cane). India has achieved the highest surplus production of sugar cane. Now the country can divert some amount of sugar cane towards the production of ethanol. A certain percentage of ethanol will be mixed with petrol; and in the case of E20, it is 20 percent ethanol and 80 percent petrol. India will require 1,016 crore litres of ethanol in 2025, which is significantly lower than India’s projected supply of 1,500 crore litres of this biofuel.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas are also setting up twelve 2G bio-refineries with an investment of Rs 14,000 crore<span;> apart from the production of bio gass from oil markeking company and <span;> bagasse, which is sugarcane residue left behind after extraction of juice, second-generation ethanol is produced from agricultural residues like rice and wheat straw, corn cobs and even empty fruit branches, Consequently it can redce the stuble burning and lower the pollution to. Thus, these 2G ethanol plants will increase ethanol production, and importantly, will do so from agricultural waste.
‘Toyota is quite clearly behind ethanol-fuelled vehicles and has brought to India a flex-fuel Corolla hybrid to serve as apilot project to showcase the technology and create awareness about ethanol. While India will target a 20 percent ethanol blend, the ‘Corolla is a flex-fuel vehicle meaning that it can run any blend percent, even pure ethanol only. Even beyond E20, the industry can go to full flex-fuel vehicles.
With-it, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is also optimistic. Speaking at the unveiling of the flex-fuel Corolla, he said, “With flex engines running only on ethanol, we will only need 4,000 crore litres” – production of which, most say, India can potentially achieve in this decade.
The Indian passenger car market is expected to grow from 3 million units in 2021 to a 7-million-unit market in 2030. Automakers such as TVS and Bajaj have developed two-wheelers that can run entirely on ethanol.
‘Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle division, confirmed that they are executing the plans to make their vehicles E20 flex fuel compliant. But they aren’t stopping there and are working towards achieving up to E85 flex fuel compatibility. Maruti had already announced that its entire lineup will be E20-compliant by April 2023. The carmaker recently showcased its prototype flex-fuel vehicle using the ‘Wagon R’ as a testing bed.
Ethanol path in the EVs journey is not easy, with the compliant of E20, older cars will have issue with higer corrosive nature of the fule. Distribution and storage would definately pose the threat. Thus one possible outcome is to continue the supply of E10 blends. Blending of ethanol and petrol is quite simply a mixing that happens after distillation, and downstream in the overall production process.
Flex fule vechile further creats problems like food security where the aim of 100% ethanol contained fule might divert the food crops and agricultral land towrds the Ethanol production. This has been withnessed in countires like US, which has large ethanol industry and caused the price hike of corn. Corn is the main production of ethonal in US. Thus, as India heading towards Ethanol fule, careful assesment need to be under taken inroder to aviod unintended probelms.
Penaja
Student of Postgraduation
Mangalore university.