Cabinet okays amendments to national biofuels policy

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has approved the Amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels -2018.

The “National Policy on Biofuels – 2018” was notified by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on May 04, 2018 in supersession of National Policy on Biofuels, promulgated through the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, in 2009.

Due to advancements in the field of Biofuels, various decisions taken in the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) meetings to increase biofuel production, recommendation of the Standing Committee and the decision to advance to introduce Ethanol Blended Petrol with up to twenty percent ethanol throughout the country from 1st April, 2023, amendments are done to the National Policy on Biofuels.

The main amendments approved to the National Policy on Biofuels include allowing more feedstocks for production of biofuels, advancing the ethanol blending target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol to ESY 2025-26 from 2030, promoting the production of biofuels in the country, under the Make in India program, by units located in Special Economic Zones (SEZ)/ Export Oriented Units (EoUs), and adding new members to the NBCC.

The amendments also include grant of permission for export of biofuels in specific cases, and changing certain phrases in the Policy in line with decisions taken during the meetings of NBCC.

This proposal will also attract and foster developments of indigenous technologies which will pave the way for Make in India drive and thereby generate more employment.

The existing National Policy on Biofuels came up during year 2018. This amendment proposal will pave the way for Make in India drive thereby leading to reduction in import of petroleum products by generation of more and more biofuels. Since many more feedstocks are being allowed for production of biofuels, this will promote the Atmanirbhar Bharat and give an impetus to Prime Minister’s vision of India becoming ‘energy independent’ by 2047.