The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Use of ethanol can save foreign exchange'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Use of ethanol can save foreign exchange'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 13. A non-governmental organisation to create awareness of the use of ethanol and biodiesel as alternative fuel was launched here today.

T.R.Jagadeesan, secretary of Indian Ethanol-biodiesel coalition, said that there was an immense scope for ethanol-mixed petrol, as the country was a premier sugar producer in the international market. If proper boost was given to this alternative fuel, India could produce at least 4-5 billion litres of ethanol, against the current production of 1.2 billion litres. (Ethanol is produced as a byproduct in sugar mills.) At present, the government accepted ethanol as fuel as a policy and allowed five per cent ethanol- mixed petrol, which could be increased to 10 per cent. In Brazil, which ranked first in ethanol production with an annual production of 16 billion litres, 26 per cent was allowed. By promoting this alternative fuel, foreign exchange to the tune of Rs 10,000 crores-15,000 crores could be saved.

The NGO was launched at a national workshop on `Advances in fuels and lubricant technologies and alternative fuels," organised by the southern section of the SAEINDIA (an engineering society for advertising land sea air and space).

In his presidential address, R.K.Malhotra, General Manager, Research and Development of the Indian Oil Corporation, said while he was for encouraging ethanol-mixed petrol, care should be taken to ensure the quality of ethanol, as there was a possibility for adulterated ethanol entering the market. He was also for encouraging biodiesel using non-vegetable oilseeds, as it would provide employment to people in rural areas.

T.S.Vijayaraghavan, former Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum, and Natural Gas, who launched the NGO, said with the annual consumption of oil touching 110 million tonnes, time had come to look for a proper alternative fuel. Though the government gave licences to private explorers, the prospect of increasing the indigenous production was not encouraging. So, the quest for alternative fuel to combine with conventional fuel was imperative. Ethanol-mixed petrol was a good beginning, which should be encouraged though it would not be the ultimate solution, he said.

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