OTHER BIOFUELS IN NEWS ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

Bioethanol

The Prime Minister has inaugurated India's first Bamboo-based Bio-Ethanol Plant in Assam. Bamboo serves as an appealing feedstock for bioethanol production because it is a non-food crop and possesses a high lignocellulose content, classifying it as 2G Ethanol.
 About Bioethanol:
      ○ Ethanol is derived from renewable biological sources such as food crops and agricultural wastes.
  ● Sources: As per the National Policy on Biofuels 2018, Bioethanol is ethanol produced from biomass, including:  
    ● Sugar-containing materials, like sugar cane and sugar beet.  
    ● Starch-containing materials, such as corn and cassava.  
    ● Cellulosic materials, like bagasse and wood waste.  
  ● Applications: Bioethanol is used as a fuel (either as pure ethanol fuel, E100, or blended with petrol, E10 or E20), in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and in the production of bio-based materials like bioplastics.  

E-Methanol (or electro methanol)

Recently, the world's first commercial-scale E-Methanol plant commenced operations in Denmark.
 About E-Methanol:
  ● Low-carbon energy is produced by combining green hydrogen with captured carbon dioxide.  
      ○ E-methanol production generally involves three main steps:
    ● Green hydrogen generation: Hydrogen feedstock is created through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy.  
    ● CO2 capture: Carbon dioxide is captured from industrial flue gases, such as those from steel mills or cement plants, or directly from the air, which helps in reducing overall emissions at the source.  
    ● Methanol synthesis: In a catalytic reactor, hydrogen and CO2 are combined under pressure, resulting in methanol with minimal by-products.  
  ● Applications: Used in the shipping industry and its derivatives, such as gasoline and kerosene, for transport.  
  ● Methanol Economy’ Programme in India (by NITI Aayog)  
  ● Benefits: The production of methanol could create 5 million jobs, and Rs 6000 crore could be saved annually by blending 20% DME (Di-methyl Ether, a derivative of methanol) in LPG.  

Compressed Biogas (CBG)

Recently, India inaugurated its First Cooperative Multi-Feed CBG Plant in Maharashtra.
      ○ This plant was developed with the assistance of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and is designed to produce 12 tons of CBG daily and 75 tons of potash from sources like jaggery and molasses.
 About CBG:
      ○ CBG is prepared from raw biogas and serves as a clean/renewable fuel, similar to CNG.
        ○ Raw biogas is generated through the anaerobic digestion of biomass and waste sources such as agricultural residue, cattle dung, and food waste.
        ○ Biogas primarily consists of Methane (CH₄): 55–60%; Carbon dioxide (CO₂): 35–40%; and other impurities like H₂S and water vapor.
        ○ The raw biogas is purified to eliminate H₂S, CO₂, and water vapor, which increases the methane concentration to 90%. It is then compressed to about 200–250 bar pressure to produce CBG.
 Initiatives taken in India to promote CBG:
  ● Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme: This initiative aims to convert cattle dung and solid waste from farms into Bio-CNG (CBG) and compost.  
  ● Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative: This program focuses on setting up Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants for the production of CBG.