Ethanol Blending with current fuel to reduce air pollution caused by vehicles

Solution to climate crisis & life expectancy concern

Posted on November 7, 2022

Currently AQLI(Air Quality Life Index) of India is 55.8µ g/m3 .If it meets WHO guidelines of 5µ g/m3, then there will be gain in life expentency by 5 years.Initiative has to be taken to reduce Air Pollution.Hey, have you heard about "Ethanol Blending in fuels, let's explore it!"

What is Ethanol Blending

Ethanol is one of the principal biofuels,which is produced during yeast fermentation of molasses(refined sugarcane). Ethanol contains oxygen molecules which allow the engine to completely combust the fuel, reducing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions. Hence, it is called clean or smokeless fuel. It is not possible to completely substitute vehicle fuel with bioethanol in an instant, so, it has to be blended with petrol/diesel.

Current Ethanol Blending Status

Earlier, the government has set targets of 10% bioethanol blending of petrol by 2022 and to raise it to 20% by 2030 under the Ethanol Blended Programme (EBP). By the recent announcement, India’s EBP target of 20% will be achieved five years earlier.According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Ethanol blending at present is 10%(E10). But, a sufficient quantity of ethanol is not available in India. Therefore, only around 50% of petrol sold in India is E10 blended, while the remaining is unblinded petrol (E0). The current level of average blending in the country is 5% (2019-20 data).India at present has an ethanol production capacity of 426 crore ltr. For the targeted E20 by 2030, the country will need approximately 1,000-crore ltr capacity.

Challenges

  1. Less Production: Currently, domestic production of bioethanol is not sufficient to meet the demand for ethanol for blending with petrol at Indian Oil Market Companies.
  2. Financial & crop scarcity:Sugar mills do not have the financial stability to invest in biofuel plants. These mills are heavily concentrated on certain regions alone,tropical sugarcane region consists of sugarcane agro climatic zone 4 (peninsular zone) Kerala,Tamil Nadu,Andhra Pradesh,Karnataka, and 5(Coastal zone) which includes the states of Maharashtra,Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Pondicherry.
  3. Inter-state movement of ethanol: The central government amended the Industries Development and Regulations Act to ensure smooth implementation and transportation of Ethanol across the country. But only 14 states have implemented the amended provisions. As a result, states that produce ethanol more than the requirement for blending cannot transport the Ethanol to other states.
  4. Non Uniform Availability & Transportation About 50% of total pump nozzles in India are supplying only E0. This is especially in large fuel pumps in North-East states.The transport of ethanol to different places for blending will increase the cost of logistics and transport-related emissions.
  5. Infrastructural challenges: Marketing places require an underground tank, pipes/hoses and dispensing units for ethanol-blended petroleum supply at retail outlets. This will create space constraint at various present retail outlets.

Benefits

  1. As ethanol contains oxygen, it burns completely, emitting nil carbon dioxide.
  2. It is expected that the ethanol project will reduce greenhouse gases equivalent to about three lakh tonnes of CO2 emission per annum.
  3. Using stubble of post-harvest for ethanol production reduces stubble-burning so as air pollution along with helping in increasing farmers’ income.
  4. As the ethanol blending program run by various developed nations, global corn, and maize production is down, this may act as an incentive for India’s export.
  5. Ethanol is considered to be one of the most suitable alternatives for blending, transportation fuel due to its better fuel quality (ethanol has a higher octane number) and environmental benefits.

Drawbacks

  1. Even after it reduces carbon dioxide by a significant amount, it does not reduce the emission of other key pollutants which as nitrous oxide.
  2. The water required to grow crops for ethanol is a matter of debate. It is said that sugarcane is the cheapest source of ethanol. On average one tonne of sugarcane can effectively produce 70 liters of ethanol which requires 2,860 liters of water.
  3. It may show some negative impact on food and fodder because of the diversion of resources for ethanol production.
  4. Nearly a tenth of the current net sown area will need to be redirected for sugarcane production in order to reach a 20% mix rate that can create a food insecurity situation in the country.
  5. Nearly a tenth of the current net sown area will need to be redirected for sugarcane production in order to reach a 20% mix rate that can create a food insecurity situation in the country.
    • Volatility in crude oil prices.
    • Volatility in crude oil prices.
    • Stringent environmental regulations.

Conclusion

Ethanol blending of petrol is not only a national imperative but also an important strategic requirement. The government should make rapid moves to put in place a favorable regulatory and retail ecosystem for safe, and effective use of ethanol-blended petrol.

Harold Wimmer, National President & CEO, American Lung Association: “Using [high ethanol blends] in a flex fuel vehicle can significantly reduce lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions, carbon monoxide pollution, and many other harmful pollutants, including benzene, a known human carcinogen.”

- Team Prakriti, IIT Kanpur