(a) whether the Government has any proposal to carry out intensive research on sugarcane with a view to maximising the production of Ethanol out of sugarcanes so that it would be used as a substitute of petroleum and/or diesel; and
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI KANTILAL BHURIA)
(a) Research is being conducted.
(b) (i) The Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI), Coimbatore, an institution of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has taken up a project under X Plan for identification of sugarcane varieties for higher ethanol production.
(ii) Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), Lucknow has started a project on development of pre-treatment and hydrolysis process for conversion of sugarcane biomass to ethanol.