Lok Sabha Question No. 2287 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-03
Subject: Alternatives to Petroleum Products
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY, RAKESH SINGH, RAMCHARAN BOHARA, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN, M. UDHAYAKUMAR, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, ARJUN RAM  MEGHWAL, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, LAXMAN GILUWA, SUDHEER GUPTA, R. GOPALAKRISHNAN

**LOK  SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2287**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2015**

**ALTERNATIVES TO PETROLEUM PRODUCTS**

**2287. 	KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:**

**SHRI RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY:**

**SHRI RAKESH SINGH:**

**SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:**

**SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN:**

**SHRI K. N. RAMACHANDRAN:**

**ADV. M. UDHAYAKUMAR:**

**DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:**

**SHRI ARJUN MEGHWAL:**

**SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:**

**SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA:**

**SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:**

**SHRI R. GOPALAKRISHNAN:**

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**Will the MINISTER OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state :**

(a) 	whether the Government proposes to promote and develop alternatives to petroleum products in order to check growing outflow of foreign exchange and environment pollution and has conducted any research and development as being done in several countries;

(b) 	if so, the details thereof indicating the new initiatives undertaken and research conducted for the purpose along with the status of progress made therein;

(c) 	whether the Government proposes to prepare a road map to accelerate the implementation of Bio-fuel programme in the country and has constituted a working Group for creating synergy between various Ministries, develop awareness and conduct programmes for the purpose; and

(d) 	the new initiatives taken by the Government for effective implementation of blending and Marketing programme of Bio-diesel and Bio-ethanol and to convert urban solid and plastic/agricultural wastes into fuels which can replace the fossil fuels and cut down oil import and the progress made in this regard?

**ANSWER**

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**MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS  (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)**

**(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)**

(a)&(b):	A National Policy on Bio-fuels has been notified by the Government in December 2009, which has laid down detailed guidelines about introduction of bio-fuels i.e. ethanol and bio-diesel.  The Policy aims to bring about accelerated development and promotion of the cultivation, production and use of biofuels to increasingly substitute petrol and diesel for transport and be used in stationary and other applications, while contributing to energy security, climate change mitigation, apart from creating new employment opportunities and leading to environmentally sustainable development.

In the area of Bio-fuels development, various Research and Development (R&D) have been conducted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and other Ministries/ Agencies in the country for developing biofuel technologies, particularly second generation biofuel technologies for production of ethanol and bio-diesel from ligno-cellulosic materials and algae, respectively.

(c)	In order to give impetus to Bio-fuel Programme, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has constituted a Working Group in the field of bio-fuels with objectives to suggest Road map for effective implementation of Bio-fuel policy in India, to achieve coordination with all the stakeholders of Bio-fuels and to conduct awareness programmes to popularise and increase bio-fuel consumption in coordination with Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA).

(d)	In order to improve the availability of ethanol, on 10 th December, 2014, the Government has fixed the price of ethanol in the range of Rs. 48.50 to Rs. 49.50 per litre (inclusive of all central and statutory levies, transportation cost etc.) depending upon the distance of distillery from the depot/installation of the OMCs.  Further, ethanol produced from other non-food feedstocks besides molasses, like cellulosic and ligno cellulosic materials including petrochemical route, has also been allowed to be procured subject to meeting the relevant BIS specifications.

A National Seminar on “Bio-fuel Programme in India – The Way Forward” was organised by Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas on 13.7.2015.  In this Seminar, Senior Officers of the Ministry/OMCs, Bio-fuel Producers and Experts in the field came together to deliberate on various issues related to Bio-fuel.

Further, a consultative workshop on “Waste/Plastic to Fuels” was organised on 20.7.2015.

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