Bioenergy Revs India's Alt Energy Quest

Globally, all industries have awakened to energy conservation and are seeking alternative energy sources that cause minimal environmental impact, while continuing to further the aspirations of farmers and the agriculture industry stakeholders.

- Dipti Barve

India’s ethanol blending programme has reached a new milestone, achieving a record 19.6 per cent ethanol blending rate with petrol in January 2025. With 82.1 crore litres of ethanol utilised in the blending programme last month, and a total of 222.9 crore litres during November 2024-January 2025, the country's biofuel ecosystem is undergoing a significant transformation. Shifting from sugar-based ethanol to grain-based alternatives like maize and rice, the industry is exploring new energy crops to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and boost the agricultural sector. With the decline in sugarcane production and government policies favouring alternative feedstocks, energy crops like sweet sorghum, sugar beet, and switchgrass are emerging as promising options for sustainable bioethanol production. Let's explore this crucial alternate energy landscape that holds the key to further propelling India’s agriculture sector.

Energy crops present significant opportunities for bioethanol production by providing a renewable feedstock rich in sugars, particularly crops like sugarcane, corn, sweet sorghum, sugar beet, maize and switchgrass, which can be converted into ethanol through fermentation, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels while potentially mitigating greenhouse gas emissions; this can be further enhanced by utilising agricultural residues like corn stover and sugarcane bagasse as second-generation feedstocks to minimise competition with food crops.

Sweet Sorghum

Sweet sorghum, recognised for its water efficiency and rapid growth cycle, presents a promising alternative to conventional ethanol feedstocks like sugarcane and corn. This initiative is set to significantly enhance India's energy security, foster sustainable agriculture, and uplift rural economies.