Why is it in the news?

• Biofuels face challenges despite the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).
• Transition to EVs requires replacing existing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and infrastructure, which is a capital-intensive process.

Challenges in India

• In India, biofuels primarily refer to first-generation (1G) ethanol, sourced from food crops.
  • The policy aims to achieve 20% ethanol blending with petrol (E20) by 2025-26, relying on 1G ethanol from sugarcane and foodgrains.
• Second-generation (2G) ethanol, made from crop waste, faces challenges related to feedstock supply and scaling up.
• Groundwater depletion and food security concerns arise from diverting surplus produce towards energy production.
• Agriculture is a significant source of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it counterproductive to increase emissions for fuel production.

Promoting Sustainable Biofuels

• Sustainable biofuels are produced from crop residues and waste with low water and GHG footprints.
  • The Global Biofuels Alliance aims to promote sustainable biofuels and support India’s climate action.
• To achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050, sustainable biofuel production must triple by 2030.
• Decentralized 2G ethanol production is a potential sustainable solution but presents challenges in balancing economies of scale with biomass collection and transport.
• Biomass should be prioritized for sectors with limited low-carbon alternatives like long-haul aviation and road freight.
• The Global Biofuels Alliance can drive innovation in efficient biomass supply chains and smaller-scale decentralized biofuel production.

Biofuels

• Any hydrocarbon fuels produced from organic matter in a short period of time is a biofuel.
• Types: Solid (e.g., wood, dried plants, manure), Liquid (e.g., bioethanol, biodiesel), Gaseous (e.g., biogas)
• Used as alternatives or supplements to diesel, petrol, and other fossil fuels.
• Utilized in transportation, stationary, portable applications, heat, and electricity generation.
• Motivated by rising oil prices, greenhouse gas emissions, and agricultural crop-based fuel production.

Different Categories of Biofuels

First Generation Biofuels:

• Made from food sources (sugar, starch, vegetable oil, animal fats).
• Examples: Bio-alcohols, Bio-diesel, Vegetable oil, Bio-ethers, Biogas.
• Easy conversion but competes with food production, causing price increases.

Second Generation Biofuels:

• Produced from non-food crops or inedible portions of food crops (e.g., stems, husks, wood chips).
• Examples: Cellulose ethanol, Biodiesel.
• Complex production processes, lower impact on food economy, lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Third Generation Biofuels:

• Derived from micro-organisms like algae.
• Example: Butanol.
• Grown on land and water unsuitable for food production, reducing water strain.
• Fertilizer use may lead to environmental pollution.

Fourth Generation Biofuels:

• Crops genetically engineered to absorb high carbon levels.
• Grown, harvested, and converted into fuel using second-generation techniques.
• Carbon capture and geo-sequestration used (carbon storage in depleted oil/gas fields or coal seams).
• Considered carbon-negative as they remove carbon from the environment.