Efforts to Boost Ethanol Production in India

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What is BioE3 Policy for Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing?
• Ethanol Requirements in India
• Efforts to Boost Ethanol Production in India
• Significance of Establishing Enzyme-Manufacturing Facilities in India

Why in News?

• The Department of Biotechnology is considering establishing enzyme-manufacturing facilities to support ethanol production.
• This comes after the Center's announcement of its BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy aimed at promoting biotechnology-centric manufacturing in India.

What is BioE3 Policy for Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing?

• What is high-performance biomanufacturing? It involves -
  • The production of products ranging from medicine to materials, tackling farming and food challenges, and
  • Promoting the manufacturing of bio-based products through the integration of advanced biotechnological processes.
• Focus areas of the policy: It primarily concentrates on the following 6 strategic sectors:
  • High-value bio-based chemicals, biopolymers & enzymes;
  • Smart proteins & functional foods;
  • Precision biotherapeutics;
  • Climate-resilient agriculture;
  • Carbon capture & its utilisation; and
  • Marine and space research.
• Key features of the policy: The BioE3 policy's key aspects involve -
  • Supporting innovation-driven R&D and entrepreneurship across various thematic sectors.
  • Expedite the development and commercialisation of technology through the establishment of Biomanufacturing & Bio-AI hubs and Biofoundry.
  • Bolster the Government's initiatives such as 'Net Zero' carbon economy and 'Lifestyle for Environment'.
  • Guiding India towards accelerated 'Green Growth' by encouraging 'Circular Bioeconomy'.
  • Nurture an advanced future that is more sustainable, innovative, and responsive to global challenges and sets out the Bio-vision for Viksit Bharat.
• Significance:
  • It will address some of the critical societal issues-such as climate change mitigation, food security and human health.
  • It is important to build a resilient biomanufacturing ecosystem in India to accelerate cutting-edge innovations for developing bio-based products.

Ethanol Requirements in India:

• According to the NITI Ayog estimates, India will need about 13.5 billion litres of ethanol annually by 2025–26.
• Of this, about 10.16 billion litres will go towards meeting the fuel-blending mandate of E20.
  • The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in 2003.
  • Under this, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) would sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10% (E10).
  • The all-India average blending of ethanol with petrol has risen from 1.6% in 2013-14 to 11.8% in 2022-23.
  • India's goal is to grow this ratio to 20% (E20) by 2025.

Efforts to Boost Ethanol Production in India:

• 2G ethanol plant in Panipat, Haryana:
  • ‘2G’ or second-generation bioethanol is ethanol that is produced from rice-straw as opposed to the conventional method of sourcing it from molasses (sugarcane).
  • In 2022, the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. set up a first-of-its-kind 2G ethanol plant in Panipat that uses rice stubble as a feedstock.
  • The facility has the potential to produce 1,00,000 litres of ethanol per day. However, the burning of rice stubble spikes pollution in north India.
• The BioE3 policy: Among other things, it aims to set up ‘bio-foundries’ that will produce biotechnology-developed feedstock and catalysts.
• Establishing enzyme-manufacturing facilities:
  • The enzymes in question are derived from tweaking a fungus (through several steps of genetic engineering) that belongs to a broader family of fungi called Penicillium funiculosum (derived from rice stubble and soil).
  • Such enzymes then act as an efficient hydrolyser of organic refuse such as rice stubble.
  • The first such plant to produce the necessary enzymes may come up in Manesar, Haryana.
  • It is expected to provide the required enzymes to the existing plant in Panipat (Haryana) and the proposed 2G bioethanol plants in Mathura (UP) and Bhatinda (Punjab).

Significance of Establishing Enzyme-Manufacturing Facilities in India:

• Support ethanol production: A combination of enzymes and the right kind of treatment are essential for turning stubble into ethanol. 
• Reduce import bill and cost of ethanol production:
  • As of today, these enzymes are imported and constitute a significant component of the cost of the 2G-ethanol production process.
  • If India's ethanol requirements in the future were to be met by locally produced enzymes, the cost of obtaining the enzymes might be reduced by about two thirds.

Q.1. What is 'Circular Bioeconomy'?

A circular bioeconomy is an economic model that uses renewable natural resources to minimise waste and maximise resource value. It aims to replace non-renewable fossil-based products with sustainable production using biological resources like plants, animals, and micro-organisms.

Q.2. How burning rice stubble spikes pollution in north India?

Stubble burning emits toxic pollutants in the atmosphere containing harmful gases like Carbon Monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC).

Source: To boost ethanol production, Centre moots dedicated enzyme manufacturing