Ethanol as Fuel; In India; Sources & Challenges YouTube Lecture Handouts

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Ethanol as Fuel; in India; Sources & Challenges|Renewable Energy Source|Future Fuel

Currently, of the 325 distilleries in India, ethanol produced is utilized in a ratio of about 50 - 52 per cent for potable use, 36 - 38 per cent for industrial use and 12 - 14 per cent for blending in petrol and other uses.

Ethanol Characteristics

Sugarcane, sweet sorghum, sugar beet

Potatoes, corn, wheat, other plants

  • Ethanol is a clear, colourless liquid with a characteristic, agreeable odour. In dilute aqueous solution, it has a somewhat sweet flavour, but in more concentrated solutions it has a burning taste. Ethanol melts at , boils at , and has a typical density of 0.789 g/ml at .
  • Ethanol has been made since ancient times by the fermentation of sugars. All the beverage ethanol, and more than half of industrial ethanol, is still made by this process. Simple sugars are the raw materials.
  • Internationally, sugarcane, sweet sorghum and sugar beet are used for the production of ethanol as sugar containing feedstock. Maize, wheat and other cereals contain starch that can relatively easily be converted to sugar. In India, ethanol is primarily produced using sugarcane molasses.
  • This is an example of first-generation biofuels that uses biomass containing large amounts of sugar or materials that can be converted to sugar such as starch, for the generation of ethanol. Enzyme from yeast, changes the simple sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Starches from potatoes, corn, wheat, and other plants can also be used in the production of ethanol by fermentation.
  • However, the starches must first be broken down into simple sugars. An enzyme released by germinating barley, diastase, converts starches into sugars. Thus, the germination of barley, called malting, is the first step in brewing beer from starchy plants, such as corn (maize) and wheat.

Ethanol as Fuel

E100

E80

E20

  • Ethanol as an oxygenate additive for standard petrol, as a replacement for methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) , the latter responsible for groundwater & soil contamination
  • The use of ethanol as a fuel for internal combustion engines, either alone or in combination with other fuels, has been given much attention mostly because of its possible environmental and long-term economical advantages over fossil fuel.
  • The use of ethanol as an automobile fuel is as old as the invention of the internal combustion engine itself. Ethanol was examined as an automotive fuel by Nikolas A Otto in 1897 during his early engine studies. Brazil has been using this fuel since 1920s.
  • Ethanol can be combined with petrol in any concentration up to pure ethanol (E100) . Anhydrous ethanol, that is, ethanol without water, can be blended with petrol in varying quantities to reduce the consumption of petroleum fuels, as well as to reduce air pollution.
  • Ethanol can also be used to power fuel cells and to produce bio diesel.
  • Ethanol, an alcohol fuel, provides high quality, high octane for exceptional engine performance and reduced emissions. Ethanol has been used in cars since Henry Ford designed his 1908 Model T to operate on alcohol.
  • Immense benefits can accrue to the country by 20% ethanol blending by 2025, such as saving ₹ 30,000 crore of foreign exchange per year, energy security, lower carbon emissions, better air quality, self-reliance, use of damaged food grains, increasing farmers՚ incomes, employment generation, and greater investment opportunities.

Ethanol Benefits

Octane Rating

Has Oxygen & complete combustion is caused

Renewable – from plants

Blended option

Gas line antifreeze – resolve winter issue

  • With a 113-octane rating, ethanol is the highest performance fuel on the market and keeps today՚s high-compression engines running smoothly.
  • Because the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, it allows the engine to more completely combust the fuel, resulting in fewer emissions.
  • Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, ethanol is also considered a renewable fuel.
  • Ethanol-blended fuel keeps the fuel system clean for optimal performance because it does not leave gummy deposits.
  • Ethanol helps prevent wintertime problems by acting as a gas-line antifreeze.

Ethanol in India

Blending since 2003 - 5%

By 2017 – 20% blending

A, B & C Grade Molasses

  • The Government has 10% blending target for mixing ethanol with petrol by 2022 & 20% blending target by 2030 and 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel in the whole country by 2030.
  • Encouraging production of ethanol from sugarcane juice and sugar/sugar syrup.
  • Fixing remunerative ex-mill price of ethanol from various feed stocks.
  • Extending interest subvention to distilleries.
  • Amendment to Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951, for free movement of denatured ethanol for Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.
  • Reduction in Goods & Service Tax on ethanol meant for EBP Programme from 18% to 5% .
  • Extension of EBP Programme to whole of India except island UTs of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep with effect from 01.04. 2019.
  • Enhancing ethanol storage at Oil Marketing Companies locations.
  • Formulating an “Ethanol Procurement Policy on a long-term basis under Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.”
  • The main feedstock for producing ethanol in the country is molasses, a by-product of sugar manufacture. In India՚s case, industry sources reveal that ethanol production in India has been taking place almost entirely through the final C grade molasses (i.e.. , a litre ethanol can be extracted from 0.004 tonnes of molasses) . C grade molasses is the last category of molasses syrup remaining after repeatedly boiling sugarcane juice of which the maximum possible crystallizable sugar has been extracted. Grade B molasses has comparatively higher percentage of fermentable sugar left and grade A the highest percentage of these categories.
  • Sugar production in general follows a 5 - 7-year cycle i.e.. production increases over a 3 - 4 year period, reaches a high, which in turn, results in lower sugar prices. As a result of lower sugar price realizations of sugar mills, the sugarcane arrears to farmers increase. This results in lower sugarcane production for the next 2 - 3 years. Due to lower sugar production, the prices shoot up resulting in increased area under sugarcane cultivation during the next season, following which there is usually a glut again. It is a systemic problem which needs to be resolved through targeted policy regulations.

Ethanol - Challenges

India is net importer of ethanol

India currently imports 85% of its oil requirements. According to NITI Aayog, a successful E-20 program can save the country $ 4 billion annually.

India is also a net importer of ethanol. It imported around 722 million liters of ethanol in 2020, mostly from the US.

Challenges faced in using Ethanol as a fuel in India

  • The major source for production of bio-ethanol in India is from molasses, a by-product of sugarcane. The availability is hence dependent on the cane and sugar production that are cyclical in nature.
  • Ethanol has many other alternative uses such as potable alcohol and use in chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Hence its use as a fuel faces stiff competition from such uses.
  • NITI Aayog estimated that sugarcane and rice combined are using 70% of the India՚s irrigation water, depleting water availability for other crops. This points to a need for change in crop pattern, to reduce dependence on particular crops, and to move to more environmentally sustainable crops for ethanol production.
  • Corn is the least water-intensive crop that can be used for ethanol production, although the rate of conversion to ethanol is lower than for rice and broken rice
  • The disadvantages of ethanol-blended petrol are that it vaporises more readily and could aggravate ozone pollution in warm weather. Due to its moisture content, it can damage rubber seals/diaphragms if present in a high concentration (an inhibitor additive can be used to counter corrosion)
  • Ethanol՚s vapour pressure is lower than that of petrol, resulting in lower evaporative emissions while its flammability is also much lower than that of petrol, reducing the risk of vehicles catching fire
  • Although the calorific value of ethanol is lower than that of petrol, it is still preferred because of its higher efficiency due to its higher oxygen content. This is also the reason for its use as a 100 per cent fuel in Brazil.

Mayank