Domestically Produced Bioethanol Contributing to India’s Pursuit of Energy Self-Reliance and De-Carbonization of the Road Transport Sector

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">This research paper explores India’s energy landscape, critically analyzing the challenges and potential solutions for sustainable development. With aspirations to become the third largest economy in the world, India faces heightened energy demands fueled by economic growth, population expansion, and urbanisation. The country grapples with a heavy reliance on imported crude oil and a substantial carbon footprint from existing primary energy sources, emphasizing the need for strategic interventions. The research paper advocates a multi-fuel strategy, particularly emphasising the promising role of bioethanol. Key stakeholders in India’s bioethanol ecosystem include farmers, Sugar mills/Grain-based distilleries, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of vehicles, consumers, and the government. The National Policy on Biofuels (NPB) aims to boost bioethanol usage, aligning with national energy security, climate change mitigation, and employment generation objectives. The research underscores the positive energy value of bioethanol produced from sugarcane in India, proposing improvements in farming practices and its solarification. A core team of six Ministries/Departments of the government of India has been implementing the Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25. This paper analyses the progress and success of this roadmap in terms of the sustainability of the domestic supply chain, augmentation of bioethanol production capacity, contribution to achieving Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), advancements in vehicle technology to boost bioethanol consumption, and fostering rural economic growth and employment generation. Acknowledging the political sensitivity surrounding sugarcane crops, the report calls for initiatives to diversify feedstocks and enhance the competitiveness of domestically produced ethanol. Bioethanol’s alignment with Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDG-7, underscores its potential to contribute to social, economic, and environmental sustainability in India’s road transport sector.</div></div>