Lok Sabha Question No. 1274 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-11
Subject: Bio-Fuel in Aviation Sector
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: JAGDAMBIKA PAL, MANOJ KUMAR TIWARI, RANJANBEN BHATT, RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA, RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKAR

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1274 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 th  FEBRUARY, 2019

## Bio-Fuel in Aviation Sector

## 1274. SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT:

SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYANA:

SHRI RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKER:

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Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is pursuing a policy to use bio-fuel in the aviation sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the use of bio-fuel in aviation sector can help in reducing jet carbon emissions and fares of flights as well and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to allow ethanol blending in petrol at large scale particularly in Delhi/NCR and if so, the details thereof along with the plan outlay in this regard;
- (d) whether it is true that India is the third largest importer of oil globally and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether there is any proposal from NITI Aayog to blend methanol with petrol to cut down oil import bill by 10 per cent and if so, the details thereof and the time by which the said proposal is likely to be accepted; and
- (f) whether  the Government  proposes  to  set up bio-fuel plants for  more production of bio-fuel and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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## MINISTER OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) The  Government  has  notified  the  National  Policy  on  Biofuels-2018  on 8.6.2018. Government is adopting a multi-pronged approach to promote and encourage use of biofuels by including advanced biofuels like bio-CNG, biomethanol, DME, bio-hydrogen, bio-jet fuel, etc.
- (b) IOCL  has  informed  that  use  of  biofuel  in  aviation  sector  would  help  in reducing the Carbon emissions. So far as flight fares are concerned, the same are decided by the concerned airlines.
- (c) Ethanol blending in petrol is being undertaken by the OMCs in 21 states and 4 UTs, including Delhi/NCR, wherein OMCs blend up to 10 % ethanol in petrol under the EBP Programme.
- (d)   As  per  BP  Statistical  Review  of  World  Energy  of  June  2018,  India  is  the fourth largest importer of Oil.
- (e)   NITI Aayog had written to Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas advocating blending of methanol with petrol. The Ministry has examined the issue and it has been observed that the domestic production of methanol is only around 10 to 20 per cent of domestic consumption and as per National Biofuels Policy 2018 the import of biofuels is not allowed.
- (f)   Oil  PSUs  have  entered  into  Memorandums  of  Understanding  (MoUs)  with State Governments and Technology Providers for setting up five 2G ethanol bio-refineries.  On 25.12.2016, foundation stone of the first 2G ethanol biorefinery  to  be  set  up  by  Hindustan  Petroleum  Corporation  Limited  in Bathinda,  Punjab  has  been  laid.  Groundbreaking  ceremony  for  2G  Ethanol bio-refinery  of  Bharat  Petroleum  Corporation  Limited  in  Bargarh,  Odisha, was held on 10.10.2018.