India’s Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi has held that 29 ethanol projects in the state of Odisha has received approval under the Ethanol Interest Subvention Scheme by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD).
The minister shared the updates on ethanol projects in Odisha while addressing an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha. Responding to whether Odisha has been identified as a potential biofuel hub and the details of relevant projects, he explained, “Biofuel plants are established by entrepreneurs, companies, or cooperative societies based on their investment strategies and the project’s techno-economic feasibility. Under the Ethanol Interest Subvention Scheme by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), 29 projects in Odisha have received approval. Currently, five ethanol distilleries with a combined annual capacity of 20 crore litres are operational in the state.”
He held that additionally, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is setting up a 200 Kilo Litre Per Day (KLPD) integrated ethanol facility in Bargarh, Odisha, utilizing both First Generation (1G) and Second Generation (2G) technologies, with 100 KLPD allocated to each.
He further noted that the BPCL ethanol plant alone is projected to cut total emissions by approximately 1.1 lakh tons of CO2 equivalent, while generating direct and indirect employment for around 1,000 individuals. He said, “To encourage local farmers in the biomass supply chain, multiple capacity-building seminars and demonstrations of modern farm equipment have been conducted in surrounding areas, aimed at mechanizing agricultural processes and fostering sectoral investments.”
India has made considerable strides in ethanol blending, reducing its dependence on crude imports while boosting farmers’ incomes and supporting industries. Ethanol has emerged as a crucial component of India’s energy security strategy. Having met blending targets in the past, the country remains on track to achieve 20% ethanol blending in the near future.
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