Question : National Policy on Bio-Fuels

(a) whether the Government has approved a National Policy on Bio-fuels for using foodgrains to produce ethanol and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has conducted any study to evaluate chain of foodgrains in the country vis-a-vis benefits likely to be accrued in terms of saving foreign exchange, production of crude oil, cutting carbon di-oxide emission in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has worked/is working on policy reforms to shift from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy in the coming years and if so, the details thereof;
(d) the details of ratio of fossil fuels to non-fossil fuels for annual vehicle consumption in the country; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to shift completely in providing Bharat stage VI fuel across Delhi/NCR region due to its high air pollution levels in the said region and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS
(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
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(a) : The National Policy on Biofuels-2018 notified on 8.6.2018 inter-alia allows production of ethanol from damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice
etc. which are unfit for human consumption. The policy also allows conversion of surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol, based on the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee.
(b) : Use of damaged food grains and surplus food grains for production of ethanol will increase its availability for Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme. During the ethanol supply year 2017-18, 150.5 crore litres of ethanol was blended in Petrol which resulted in foreign exchange impact of about Rs. 5070 crore and carbon emission reduced to the extent of 29.94 lakh tonnes.
(c) & (d) : The National Policy on Biofuels-2018 approved by the Government envisages an indicative target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of bio-diesel in diesel by 2030. Under EBP programme, ethanol blending in petrol is being undertaken by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in whole country except island Union Territory (UT) of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep wherein, OMCs blend up to 10 % ethanol in petrol under the EBP Programme.
Further, Government has approved Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana to provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to Second Generation bio-ethanol manufacturing projects to increase availability of ethanol for EBP programme.
Ministry has also issued Gazette Notification dated 1.5.2019 on “Guidelines for sale of Biodiesel for blending with high speed diesel for transportation purposes-2019” dated 30.4.2019.
(e) Government has decided leapfrog directly to BS-VI quality w.e.f. 1st April, 2020 in the entire country. Considering the rise in environmental pollution in National Capital Region, Government has started supply of BS-VI auto fuel in National Capital Territory of Delhi from 1st April, 2018. Further, in line with the directions issued by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, supply of BS-VI auto fuel has started in ten districts of National Capital Region and three other districts/cities outside of National Capital Region (Karauli, Dhaulpur and city of Agra) w.e.f. 1st April, 2019.
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