India, which imports up to 80 percent of its oil needs, will spend $1.5 billion on setting up biofuel refineries that are expected to employ around 15,000 people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on August 10 that ethanol blending could help the country save $1.7 billion a year on import bills.
New Delhi (Sputnik)ย โ Theย Indian Air Force (IAF) will soon start using ethanol blended air turbine fuel (ATF) toย fly its transport aircraft likeย the Antonov-32; joining the call byย the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi toย increase the use ofย biofuels and ethanol-blended fuel toย lower import costs.
“We have discussed the plan toย use ethanol blended air turbine fuel onย the Indian Air Force jet atย length inย the past. We hope byย end ofย this year transport aircraft will fly using this fuel,” a government official told Sputnik.
Earlier onย August 27, India’s first 72-seater biofuel-powered civilian aircraft successfully completed its hour-long journey fromย New Delhi toย Dehradun raising the prospects forย early adoption ofย the sustainable alternative fuel byย the country’s aviation sector. The flight flew onย 25% biofuel and 75% ATF.India’s oil minister announced onย September 8 that 12 bio-refineries were being set upย and steps were being taken toย achieve 10% ethanol blending. “Soon, Bio-ATF and Bio-CNG policies will be formulated,” Minister Pradhan said.
Furthermore, the Indian government, inย May ofย this year, approved a new policy expanding the scope ofย raw material forย ethanol production byย allowing the use ofย sugarcane juice, sugar-containing materials likeย sugar beets, sweet sorghum, starch-containing materials likeย corn, cassava, damaged foodgrains likeย wheat, broken rice, and rotten potatoes that are unfit forย human consumption forย ethanol production.
