Biofuels and Bioenergy

The existing Government Targets of 5E/10E/20E fuel ethanol blending with gasoline and analysed the current and future demand and supply of fuel ethanol in India till 2020. This presents huge business opportunities for technology providers to participate in forthcoming projects in India. Author also studied the techno-economic feasibility of production of Fuel Ethanol through standalone 2nd Generation Technologies (lignocellulosic) and through sensitivity analysis concluded that with current capping on Fuel Ethanol Pricing @ INR 39/L, the Ethanol production through 2G technologies is economically not viable in the country. This is hampering the huge potential available for Fuel Ethanol in India. Author also analysed that the current (1G) technological set up in the country i.e production of Fuel ethanol through Sugarcane Molasses, India willstill fall way short of its blending targets. This calls for scouting newer and economical viable technologies or innovative methodologies for ramping up ethanol production in the country. To bridge this ever increasing supply and demand gap and acieve certain degree of economic viability, author proposed the future strategies of process and 3rd level integration of 1G and 2G technologies along with sugarmill to achieve economy of scale for the forthcoming projects.