Biofuels

• Directorate General Of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has modified the 2018 notification, allowing export of biofuel from Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export-Oriented Units (EOUs) for both fuel and non-fuel purposes without any restrictions if biofuel is produced using imported feed stock.
  • Biofuel imports and exports both require a license.

About Biofuels

• Biofuel, renewable form of energy, is any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from organic matter in a short period of time.
• Examples include Bio ethanol, Biodiesel, Compressed Biogas etc.
• Different generations of Biofuels
  • First Generation– Edible biomass – Sugar beet , Sugar cane, Wheat, Corn, Oil crops
  • Second Generation– Non-Edible biomass– Wood, Grass, Straw, Waste
  • Third Generation– Algal biomass– Macroalgae, Microalgae
  • Fourth Generation– Breakthrough– Pyrolysis, Solar to fuel, Genetically Modified Orgaisms
• Significance of Biofuels
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are a renewable source of energy.
  • Benefit Farmers with additional income.
  • Opportunities for new businesses in processing of biomass, storage solutions and enable employment generation.

Government policies to promote Biofuels

• National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 for reaching 20% ethanol-blending by 2025-2026.
• Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana, 2019.
• GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) DHAN scheme, 2018.
• Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) to establish an ecosystem for Compressed Biogas (CBG) production.