Page 25 - NIS English, December 16-31,2022

2022: Year of Willpower Cover Story

ATMANIRBHAR The Government of India is promoting
the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP)
program with the objective of
BHARAT enhancing the country's energy
security, reducing import dependence

ABHIYAN GETS on fuel, saving foreign exchange,
tackling environmental issues, and

MOMENTUM FROM boosting the domestic agriculture
sector. A few years back, it was
ETHANOL BLENDING decided that the target of ethanol
blending in petrol up to 10 percent
would be met, which the country
achieved ahead of time. Now the
target of ethanol blending up to 20%
by 2025 has been set…

In the last 7-8 years, about 50 thousand
crore rupees of the country have been saved
by mixing ethanol in petrol campaigns. The
farmers of the country have also gained a lot
from it.
Ethanol Supply to oil companies was only
38 crore litres in the year 2013-14 with the
blending of only 1.53%. The production of
fuel-grade ethanol and its supply to oil
companies has increased 8 times from 2013-
14 to 2020-21. Now, this production is around
400 crore litres.
The 'National Policy on Biofuels' notified by the
government in the year 2018 had set a target
of 20% ethanol blending in petrol by the year
2030. However, due to the various measures
taken by the government since 2014, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi released a roadmap
titled 'Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25'
on 5 June 2021 on the occasion of World
Environment Day, in which the target of 20%
ethanol blending has been achieved.
This achievement during the last 8 years has
not only enhanced India's energy security
The Cabinet Committee on Economic but also reduced 27 lakh metric tonnes of
Affairs recently increased the ethanol price greenhouse gas emissions and prompted
payment of over Rs 40,600 crore to farmers.
to make it a sustainable fuel and enhance The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
farmers' income. With this, public-sector recently increased the ethanol price to make
oil companies will now buy ethanol at a it a sustainable fuel and enhance farmers'
income. With this, public-sector oil companies
higher price. will now buy ethanol at a higher price.

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