Government to take measures on usage of Bio-fuels

The Indian Government will soon make some necessary legal changes that will help encourage the use of bio-fuels in India; these changes will comply with international standards further aiding the development of cars running on bio-fuel.

Road Transport Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari while addressing a seminar by the Non-Conventional Energy Cell said, “There is a requirement to make changes in the law and bring it at par with international standards which can enable us to permit cars that run on different fuels, especially bio-fuel." He further added."We will try to introduce the changes in the next  Parliament session. The government has already announced to make necessary changes in law for e-rickshaws that will give employment to over 2 lakh people" Gadkari said.

He also suggested that the Ministry will study automobile laws from developed countries that use bio-fuels in abundance. Countries such as United States, Canada, Brazil and Germany encourage development of cars that run on bio-fuel. Researchers from different parts of world have found that the car engines can also run on bio-fuel developed from coffee and whiskey.

Dr Chris Chuck, Whorrod Research Fellow from the Department of Chemical Engineering, explained: “Around 8 million tonnes of coffee are produced globally each year and ground waste coffee contains up to 20 per cent oil per unit weight. This oil also has similar properties to current feedstocks used to make biofuels. But while those are cultivated specifically to produce fuel, spent coffee grounds are a waste, in using these there’s a real potential to produce a truly sustainable second-generation biofuel.”

Expressing his concern over the huge import of fuel and edible oil in country Mr. Gadakari said "There is a need to diversify agriculture and make better use of waste land in villages. Ethanol could be made from different sources, especially from biomass of cotton straw and sugarcane. But biomass can also be used to produce bio-digester CNG.”

To meet its rising demand in the current fiscal, India imports fuel worth of Rs 6 lakh crore while the edible oil costs Rs 800 crore.  

"We will try to see if a biodigester can be set up in every village. This can enable people to use bio-gas for different activities," Gadkari said.

Source: PTI