World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th August to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels or biofuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and to highlight the various efforts made by the Government in the biofuel sector. The World Biofuel Day is being observed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for the last three years.
This year, it is proposed to hold the World Biofuel Day programme at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 10th August, 2018. Prime Minister will be the Chief Guest for the inaugural session that day, and he will be joined by a galaxy of Central Ministers.
The proposed participants in the World Biofuel Day programme are sugarcane and other farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs in biofuels, students of agriculture, science and engineering streams, Members of Parliament, Ambassadors, officers of Central and State Governments and companies involved in bio-energy sector, national and international media, and others. There will be separate interactive sessions on ethanol, bio-diesel, bio-CNG and 2nd Generation biofuels after the inaugural session.
Biofuels have the benefits of reducing import dependency on crude oil, cleaner environment, additional income to farmers and employment generation in rural areas. The biofuels programme is also in synergy with the Government of India initiatives for Make in India, Swachh Bharat and enhancing farmers’ income.
Since 2014, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives to increase blending of biofuels. The major interventions include administrative price mechanism for ethanol, simplifying the procurement procedures of OMCs, amending the provisions of Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 and enabling lignocellulosic route for ethanol procurement.
These interventions of the Government of India have shown positive results. Ethanol blending in petrol has increased from 38 crore litres in the ethanol supply year 2013-14 to an estimated 141 crore litres in the ethanol supply year 2017-18. Bio-diesel blending in the country started from 10th August, 2015 and in the year 2018-19, Oil Marketing Companies have allocated 7.6 crore litres of biodiesel. Oil PSUs are also planning to set up 12 Second Generation (2G) Bio-refineries to augment ethanol supply and address environmental issues arising out of burning of agricultural biomass.
The Government approved the National Policy on Biofuels-2018 in June 2018. The policy has the objective of reaching 20% ethanol-blending and 5% biodiesel-blending by the year 2030. Among other things, the policy expands the scope of feedstock for ethanol production and has provided for incentives for production of advanced biofuels.
Recently, the Government has increased the price of C-heavy molasses-based ethanol to Rs. 43.70 from Rs. 40.85 to give a boost to EBP Programme. Price of B-heavy molasses-based ethanol and sugarcane juice-based ethanol has been fixed for the first time at Rs. 47.40. The Government has reduced GST on ethanol for blending in fuel from 18% to 5%. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is making all efforts to increase ethanol supply for petrol and has taken several steps in this direction.
Siku ya Dunia ya Biofuel huadhimishwa kila mwaka mnamo 10 Agosti ili kuunda ufahamu juu ya umuhimu wa mafuta yasiyo ya fossil au biofuels kama mbadala wa mafuta ya fossil ya kawaida na kuonyesha juhudi mbalimbali zilizofanywa na Serikali katika sekta ya biofuels. Siku ya Dunia ya Mafuta ya Bio imekuwa ikisherehekewa na Wizara ya Petroli na Gesi Asili kwa miaka mitatu iliyopita. Siku ya Dunia ya Biofuel itafanyika katika Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, India, tarehe 10 Agosti 2018. Waziri Mkuu atakuwa mgeni mkuu kwa kikao cha ufunguzi siku hiyo, na ataungana na galaksi ya Mawaziri wa Kati. "Washiriki wa mpango wa Siku ya Dunia ya Biofuel ni wakulima wa miwa na wengine, wanasayansi, wajasiriamali katika biofuels, wanafunzi wa kilimo, sayansi na uhandisi, wanachama wa Bunge, mabalozi, maafisa wa serikali za kati na za jimbo na makampuni yanayohusika katika sekta ya bioenergy, vyombo vya habari vya kitaifa na kimataifa, na wengine. """ Mkutano huo pia utahusisha mazungumzo ya kina kuhusu ethanol, bio-diesel, bio-CNG na mafuta ya kizazi cha pili. Biofuels ina faida ya kupunguza utegemezi wa uagizaji wa mafuta yasiyosafishwa, mazingira safi, mapato ya ziada kwa wakulima na kuunda ajira katika maeneo ya vijijini. Programu ya mafuta ya viumbe pia ni katika ushirikiano na mipango ya Serikali ya India kwa ajili ya Kufanya katika India, Swachh Bharat na kuongeza mapato ya wakulima. Tangu mwaka 2014, Serikali ya India imechukua hatua kadhaa za kuongeza mchanganyiko wa mafuta ya bio. Mabadiliko hayo ni pamoja na utaratibu wa bei ya utawala kwa ethanol, kurahisisha taratibu za ununuzi wa OMCs, kurekebisha masharti ya Sheria ya Viwanda (Uendelezaji na Udhibiti) ya 1951, na kuwezesha njia ya lignocellulosic kwa ununuzi wa ethanol. Hatua hizi za Serikali ya India zimeonyesha matokeo mazuri. Kwa mujibu wa ripoti hiyo, kiasi cha ethanol kilichotumiwa katika mafuta ya petroli kiliongezeka kutoka lita 38 za ethanol mwaka wa 2013 hadi lita 141 za ethanol mwaka wa 2017. Biodiesel imeanza kutumiwa nchini humo mnamo Agosti 10, 2015 na katika mwaka wa 2018-19, makampuni ya uuzaji wa mafuta yameweka lita 7.6 za biodiesel. Kampuni za umma za mafuta pia zinapanga kuanzisha viwanda 12 vya kizazi cha pili (2G) vya kusafisha viumbe ili kuongeza usambazaji wa ethanol na kushughulikia masuala ya mazingira yanayotokana na kuchoma biomass ya kilimo. Serikali ya India imepitisha sera ya kitaifa ya mafuta ya viumbe (National Policy on Biofuels) mnamo Juni 2018. Mpango huo unakusudia kufikia kiwango cha 20%, na 5%, cha ethanol na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%, na 5%. Miongoni mwa mambo mengine, sera hiyo inaongeza wigo wa malighafi kwa ajili ya uzalishaji wa ethanol na imetoa motisha kwa ajili ya uzalishaji wa biofuels ya juu. Hivi karibuni, Serikali imeongeza bei ya ethanol ya msingi wa molasses nzito ya C hadi Rs. 43 na 70 kwa ajili ya Rupees. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""mfano wa kuimarisha mpango wa EBP ni muhimu." Bei ya ethanol ya B-heavy molasses na ethanol ya juisi ya miwa imewekwa kwa mara ya kwanza kwa Rs. 47.4 - Uwezo wa kuendesha gari Serikali imepunguza ushuru wa bidhaa na huduma (GST) kwa ethanol iliyotumiwa kuchanganya mafuta na mafuta ya mafuta kutoka asilimia 18 hadi asilimia 5. Wizara ya Petroli na Gesi Asili (PnG) imefanya kazi ya kuongeza usambazaji wa ethanol kwa petroli na imechukua hatua kadhaa katika mwelekeo huu.