Turning leftovers into mileage: How potatoes could soon power your vehicle

The Central Potato Research Institute is expected to start a plant to convert potato waste into ethanol by targeting peels and the starch from potato washing water as key components for conversion

India, the world’s second-largest producer of potatoes, faces a significant challenge in managing post-harvest waste due to inadequate storage and transportation. However, the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) is turning this challenge into an opportunity. It is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative to convert potato waste into ethanol — a biofuel with the potential to reduce India’s reliance on fossil fuels and decrease environmental impact, according to a report by The Economic Times. 

The pilot biofuel unit is expected to be located in one of the high-production areas such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat or West Bengal and will use substandard and discarded potatoes for ethanol production. According to CPRI, the facility will target potato peels and the starch from potato washing water as key components for ethanol conversion.

 

Lab research fuels the initiative

CPRI, based in Shimla, recently concluded laboratory studies demonstrating the potential of converting potato waste and peels into ethanol. With 10-15 per cent of India’s total potato production discarded each year, these potatoes are now being considered a promising feedstock for ethanol production, following sugarcane and maize. The National Policy on Biofuels also identifies rotten potatoes as a valid ethanol feedstock.

Citing Dharmedra Kumar, a scientist at CPRI, the report mentioned that potatoes offer an alternative feedstock due to the substantial waste generated in the country. India, with the largest cold storage facilities for potatoes, can now tap into this abundant waste for ethanol production. 

Annually, India produces around 56 million tonnes of potatoes, of which 8-10 per cent, or approximately five million tonnes, are processed into chips, fries, and dehydrated products. However, due to poor storage and handling, post-harvest losses account for an additional 11-14 million tonnes.

India’s ethanol blending program’s growth

Earlier this month, Business Standard reported that India’s ethanol blending program has made significant strides, saving the country Rs 99,014 crore in foreign exchange since 2014, according to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The government has already achieved a 15 per cent ethanol blending target, aiming to reach 20 per cent by the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26. This increase in ethanol usage has substituted 17.3 million metric tonnes of crude imports since 2014, contributing to reduced carbon emissions by 51.9 million metric tonnes by mid-2024.

The petroleum minister also noted that oil marketing companies have paid Rs 1.45 trillion to distillers since 2014, while farmers have received Rs 87,558 crore in payments. Ethanol-blended petrol (E20) is now available at over 15,600 outlets, with the introduction of E100 fuel for high-performance engines also underway.

India’s shift to corn-based ethanol

Meanwhile, India’s efforts to expand corn-based ethanol production have turned the country from a net corn exporter to a net importer for the first time in decades. With the government increasing procurement prices for corn-based ethanol in January, there is now a push to reduce reliance on sugarcane for ethanol production. This shift has caused local corn prices to soar, pressuring India’s poultry industry, which depends on corn as a primary feedstock.

India’s corn exports, usually ranging from 2 to 4 million metric tonnes annually, are expected to drop to 450,000 tonnes in 2024. Meanwhile, the country is set to import a record one million tonnes of corn, primarily from Myanmar and Ukraine, which grow non-genetically modified (GM) corn. The poultry industry is advocating for the removal of import duties and a lift on the GM corn ban to ease supply constraints.