Biofuels can offer solution to farmer's woes: Nitin Gadkari

Biofuels can offer a viable solution to some of the challenges facing the agriculture sector by providing alternative source of income and energy to the rural areas, according to Nitin Gadkari, minister of road, transport and highways and shipping. “Biofuels can be socio-economic change agents as it would address crucial issues of farmer suicides, agri surpluses in the sugar, wheat and rice industries and fuel economy,” said Gadkari at the ‘Biofuels Roundtable 2015, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on April 15, 2015.
 
He added, “Biofuels are an alternative to our agricultural problems. Diversification of agriculture towards energy is very essential for Make in India and for the rural and agricultural economy.” Higher use of biofuels will also directly help reduce petrol and diesel imports which are at about Rs 6 lakh crores.
 
Citing an example where technology innovation has led to employment creation, Nitin Gadkari said, “Conversion of biomass and bio-waste to pellets can be a good option for gas and can give employment. One of the projects which has been implemented in Nagpur entails using cotton stalk and segregating municipal waste for making pellets. Today, we have 12 factories employing 15000 youth which are making the pellets. These pellets are being used in 1000 restaurants with special stoves.”
 
Mentioning another technological innovation in the area of biogas, he said, “In Stockholm in Sweden, methane is being taken from sewage water to make bio-CNG which is being used to run buses. We are also forming a joint venture company to make a joint venture company to make biogas from sewage water and run buses on bio-CNG.”
                                                                                 
Emphasising the opportunity in this segment, Nitin Gadkari said, “There is an opportunity to convert existing busses to run on electric power or biofuels. Now is the time for us to convert our transport particularly in metros to biofuels or electric which will result in huge savings of fuels and give a good internal rate of return.”
 
Highlighting a pioneering initiative, he said, The Haldia port started manufacturing 3 lakh liters per day of biodiesel which was being used in trucks, railway engines. It is the first green port in India where we will use only biodiesel.”
                                    
Pramod Chaudhari, chairman, CII national committee for bio-energy and chairman, Praj Industries, stated, “The time has come for bio-based economy. Most important is the need for flexibility of feedstocks-ethanol can be made from a variety of feedstock-sugarcane, sweet sorghum, etc.  A consistent policy and a roadmap for promoting biofuels can give an impetus for taking biofuels to the next level. A bio-energy mission or a task force is required to take the momentum forward in an organised manner.”
 
At present, the government is exploring options of moving the Apex court to seek a redressal from the recent Green Tribunal’s order to ease out 10 year old diesel fuelled vehicles from the capital city even as the transport ministry takes initiatives to bring in biofuels in the public transport system.