Next-generation U.S. biofuel capacity should reach about 88 million gallons in 2010, thanks in large measure to one plant becoming commercially operational in 2010, using noncellulosic animal fat to produce green diesel. U.S.
THE department of chemicals and petrochemicals (DoCP) seems to have put a damper on the attempts of an empowered group of ministers to expeditiously clinch the price of ethanol supplied to oil marketing companies (OMCs) by sugar mills.
'A quantum of 135 million litre ethanol is being produced from six sugar factories of the State annually. This is being used with petrol as a fuel. There is a target of increasing the use of ethenal to 10 per cent in the State by the end of next year,' said State Bio-fuel Task Force President Y B Ramakrishna.
Any policy on blending ethanol with petrol has to keep in mind the costs involved in ethanol production - excessive use of scarce water to grow sugarcane and the effluents discharged in the process.
Rakesh BhartiaRakesh Bhartia
CEO, India Glycols
Apart from reducing feedstock for the chemicals industry, there are environment costs of the bio-fuel policy that are quite significant
DIFFERENCES have emerged within the government over mandatory blending of petrol with ethanol. Fertilisers & chemicals minister MK Azhagiri has written to the prime minister asking that the November 2009 decision of the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) be reviewed and the mandatory blending be deferred until such time as enough ethanol is available for consumers.
