India's target of 20% ethanol blending advanced from 2030 to 2025-26

Puri said that the Centre has set a target to increase the share of gas in the energy mix up to 15% in 2030 to make India a Gas based economy

The government has advanced its target to achieve 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025-26, Union Minister for Petroleum Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday.

While addressing the Global CBG Conference of the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE) - CBG Producers Forum, Puri said that the Government of India has notified the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 to increase usage of biofuels in the energy and transportation sectors of the country.

"Production of indigenous biofuels will play a pivotal role in achieving the targets of net zero and import reduction. We have increased the ethanol blending in petrol from 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 to 10.17 per cent in July 2022. This translates into forex savings of Rs 41,500 crore, timely payment of over Rs 40,600 crore to farmers and a reduction of 27 lakh tones in CO2 emissions. We have also advanced our target to achieve 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025-26," he said.

The Union Minister also said that the production of CBG would have multiple benefits viz., reduction of natural gas imports, reduction of GHG emission, reduction in the burning of agriculture residues, providing remunerative income to farmers, employment generation, and effective waste management.

Puri said that the Government of India has set a target to increase the share of gas in the energy mix up to 15 per cent in 2030 to make India a Gas based economy.

"Presently we are importing around 50 per cent of our requirement of natural gas. The speedy expansion of CBG wil help in meeting our additional requirement from domestic resources," the Union Minister said.

He further added "India has an ambitious target to set up 5000 commercial plants by 2024- 25 and produce 15 MMT of CBG which would replace other gaseous fuels being used in the country. So far 46 CBG/biogas plants have been commissioned and sale has been started from more than 100 Retail Outlets.