write a short note on black revolution of petroleum production
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Black revolution for oil-sufficiency
Friday, 30 January , 2004, 12:45
Last Updated: Friday, 30 January , 2004, 13:04
The mandatory blending of ethanol with petrol will be extended across the country by this year-end, leading to a black revolution ensuring oil self-sufficiency for India, Petroleum Minister Ram Naik has said.
On his recent visit to Mumbai, he told a group of ethanol manufacturers that the Centre had given an impetus to the use of bio-fuels and it was committed to extend the National Programme for five per cent ethanol blending with petrol. ''A silent revolution has been ushered in the petro-agro sector with the launch of the National Programme for five per cent blending of ethanol with petrol in sugarcane producing states in the first phase,'' Naik added saying that it will soon be called 'Black Revolution' as these renewable fuels will lead India to the path of self sufficiency in oil. The Minister, while addressing the first general body meeting of the Ethanol Manufacturers' Association earlier this week, said a major initiative had been taken by his department in this direction.
Ethanol is a renewable source of energy produced from molasses, which is a by-product of sugar production. Blending of ethanol with petrol has been practised in Brazil and USA for over 70 years.
However, it is only in the last three years with the impetus given by his Ministry that ethanol blending was seriously considered in India despite six technical committees and four study groups having been in its favour since 1977, he said. The first three pilot projects were commissioned at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and Miraj as well as Manmad in Maharashtra for testing the efficacy of five per cent ethanol blend with petrol, he added.
''Encouraged by the success of the pilot projects and on the strength of the research and development studies and discussions with the authorities concerned including state governments, the Centre mandated supply of five per cent ethanol blended petrol from January 1, 2003,'' Naik said. ''All the eight states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and three Union Territories of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are now being supplied with five per cent ethanol blended petrol,'' he said. ''Of the about eight million tonnes of petrol consumption in the country, 5.2 million tonnes is accounted for by the states and territories covered in the first phase. At this level, about 40 crore litres of ethanol is required for blending for proper utilisation of sugarcane molasses,'' Naik said. ''With the successful implementation of the programme in these regions, the Centre has taken a decision to extend the coverage to Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal and Pondicherry from January 1 this year and to Madhya Pradesh from March 1. While, Uttaranchal has already been covered, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry will be covered by January 31 and Madhya Pradesh by February 28,'' he informed. The total requirement of ethanol for five per cent blending in the eleven states and four Territories covered so far was 40 crore litres per annum. He said the ethanol manufacturers' association have responded commendably to the challenge by setting up an ethanol production unit with 60 crore litre per annum capacity in Maharashtra. While Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka are self-sufficient and there is about 50 per cent availability in Andhra Pradesh. Goa, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Utaranchal, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are fully dependent on external supplies. ''The extension of five per cent blending to the entire country would require an additional 18 crore litres of ethanol which would absorb the excess capacity available in the country,'' Naik said. The ministry is examining the feasibility of the plan and working out the economics as it would entail transport of ethanol from the western region to the North-eastern and Eastern section of the nation. The ethanol blending percentage would be raised to ten per cent in the third phase. The issue of change in specifications of petrol is being pursued with the Bureau of Indian Standards. Research and Development studies are being undertaken for the evaluation of ethanol blending with diesel. ''The programme to blend ethanol with transport fuels would provide better returns to sugarcane farmers, supplement scare resources of hydrocarbons and bring environmental benefits by reducing pollutants as it helps combustion,'' the Minister said.
''I hope our agricultural sector will respond to the challenge.
These fuels will benefit the farmers apart from reducing the foreign exchange burden on import of crude oil and also benefit the environment,'' Naik added.