Sugarcane Ethanol Advantages of Sugarcane as Crop Existent Infrastructure in Sugar Developments in Sugarcane Crop Policy Support from Government Future Focus to Advance
1. Sugarcane Ethanol Advantages ofSugarcane as Crop Existent
Infrastructure in SugarDevelopments in Sugarcane CropPolicy Support
from Government Future Focus to Advance
2.
Sugarcan e is a Perennial crop with requires abundant
Photosynthesis.
Sugarcane Sequests Co2 .
Entire Biomass has utility value to derive byproducts like
Sugar, Alcohol, Power, Paper, Particle Board, Bioplastics.
Savings to Exchequer minimising dependency on OPEC.
Developing Degradable Plastics and Chemicals which replace
traditional ones which are major Pollutants and cause for Urban
infrastructure Collapses.
Enabling new Logistic infrastructure & Trade
developments.
Advantages ofSugarcane as Crop 3. Existent Infrastructure in
Sugar
Most of Indian Sugar is in Cooperative or Small Private
holding.
Indian Farmer has marginal Landholdings, restricting complete
mechanization of Harvesting and Cultivation and Corporate
farming.
Lack of Innovative developments by Industry, Scientific
community, Agri Universities alike Australian BSES/SRI/QUT and lack
of Policy support.
Practicing Redundant and Polluting practices with no
accountability to Human health, Environment and putting no
investments to better Practices like GAP( Good agricultural
Practices ).
Lack of Skilled and Properly trained Human resources in Sugar
Sector.
4. Developments in Sugarcane Crop
QUT, SRI, FARMACULE & Syngentahave been doing in AU.
Crystalsev-Dow / Crystalsev-Amyris / Cosan-Petrobras in
Brazil.
Indonesias University of Jember & Gadjha Mada inducing
Sugars in Sugarcane leaves to convert to ethanol.
Cuba /Peking University in Beijing Chinaworking on Cellulosic
ethanol.
VietnamsUniversity ofTech & Petro Chem Center & Japans
Univ of Tokyo / Mitsui Eng working on Ethanol from various
feedstock's.
USAsLouisiana/Florida along with SRU on Cane Ethanol.
Dupont Danisco on Cellulosic ethanol.
Praj Industries, NCL, CSIR working on 2 ndgeneration Biofuels
in India.
5. Policy Support from Government
Indian Government is yet to come up with Comprehensive Ethanol
Policy Inspite of having introduced blending in 2003.
Excise duty waiver on Molasses, Sales Tax and interstate Sale
to be Uniform.
Ethanol Price awarded is not on par withMTBE pricing or even
Crude.
Blending should be also allowed at manufacturing/Pump Premise
for possible CDM.
Ban Old vehicles and insist Auto manufacturers to go for multi
flex vehicles.
Policy Decisions interlinked with several ministries of which
none have given impetus to Ethanol Inspite of having not failed
like Biodiesel to raise feedstock's.
Highlighting Global EthanolSuccess stories and Practicing them
in India .
6. Future Focus to Advance
Sugarcane Cultivation has been dropping drastically due to
Agronomical , Management failures handicapped by Labor shortage and
Lack ofIncentives .
New revenue streams to better financial health of sector like
Fortified sugar, Chemicals , Bioplastics be looked in to.
Work on Carbon Footprint across entire value chain to reduce
Pollutants and develop possible CDM templates.
Allow free trade of ethanol and develop requisite
infrastructure as Ethanol is Hygroscopic and also a Class A product
with high Flash/Fire point.
Manufacture multiflex vehicles.
Work on 2G distillation , Feedstock's supporting such
initiatives with possible partnerships.
7. Vehicle Population
Most of Indian vehicles are above 10 years and they need to be
replaced with Multiflex vehicles which can use Petrol, Ethanol or a
mix of both.
IndianRTAis one among the most defunctandwith low
accountability .
In India, the vehicle population is growing at rate of over 5%
per annum and today the vehicle population is approximately 40
million.
The vehicle mix is also unique to India in that there is a very
high proportion of two wheelers (76%) which are major cause of
pollution.
Improving Multi transit infrastructure and encourage its
usage.
8. Ethanol Economics
The direct employment potential is likely to be at least 50
times that of a Petroleum refinery.
A 6 billion liters ethanol production, could save an estimated
around US$1 billion in foreign exchange in diesel / petrol
equivalent.
This in turn would provide an additional income per year to the
tune of Rs 6500 Crore at an average price of Rs. 650 per tone.
Petrol consumption in India during 2006-07 is 9,295,000 MT and
only 0.64% of petrol is replaced with Ethanol.
At 10 per cent levels India would need at least 1,200 million
litres of ethanol. Purchases of sugarcane, the primary feedstock
for ethanol production would be about Rs 12,600 crore at current
prices.
Reduces tailpipe carbon monoxide emissions by as much as
30%
Reduces exhaust VOC emissions by 12%
Reduces toxic emissions by 30%
Reduces particulate emissions, especially fine-particulates
that pose a health threat to children, senior citizens, and those
with respiratory ailments
Reduces carbon dioxide greenhouse gases by over 35% compared to
gasoline
In terms of reduction of Co2, the nation can save nearly 5 to 6
million tones of carbon equivalent per year including carbon
substitution by bagasse, meaning additional income from carbon
trading estimated to beto the tune of $ 100 million.
11. Negatives of Ethanol
Limitation to single feedstock of Molasses as Tapioca , Sweet
Sorghum, Sweet Beet yet to prove Commercial success.
India still dependent on Traditional Distillation procedures of
C6 & C12
C5, Distillation using multifeed stocks and wastes yet to get
support.
Indian Sugar Cycles and Global prices have not enabled Ethanol
to be traded freely.
Infrastructure for Domestic Storage, Transport, Handling and at
Ports for export yet to be developed alike Thailand as a
Consortium.
Opposition from Chemical and Potable alcohol manufacturers to
compete for feedstock and pricing.
Political and Public support almost non existent Inspite of
$135 crude pricing.
