The biofuel sector has enormous potential and can pave the way for a sustainable future in India

The biofuels sector has huge potential and can pave the way for a sustainable future in India, said Ramakrishna YB, an expert with the Biofuels Working Group of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG).

He was speaking at a special event to mark World Biofuels Day, where advances in biofuels and carbon capture technologies were showcased at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) campus in New Delhi.

“The biofuels sector has huge potential, surpassing the agriculture sector in scale,” said Ramakrishna, former chairman of the MoP&NG’s Biofuels Working Group.

Ramakrishna said that “this requires extensive research and development to overcome the technical and economic barriers, make it commercially viable and unlock the vast opportunities for sustainable energy production.”

He shed light on the current political situation, opportunities and future of biofuels in India.

Ramakrishna also released two short films produced by ICGEB that highlighted the institution’s research efforts in biofuels and carbon capture.

In the face of the climate crisis affecting the entire world, biofuels emerge as a potential solution for a cleaner and more sustainable economy.

Biofuels, produced from renewable organic materials such as plants and algae, are a promising alternative to traditional fuels that increase greenhouse gas emissions.

Biofuels are considered carbon dioxide (CO2) neutral because the carbon dioxide (CO2) released when they are burned is offset by the CO2 absorbed by plants as they grow, making them a cleaner and more sustainable fuel source.

Biofuels and green hydrogen are the backbone of India’s energy transformation and can pave the way to achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and meeting 50% of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030.

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet also approved the extension of the Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, a key initiative to boost India’s advanced biofuels sector.

The new programme extends the implementation period by five years to 2028-2029. It also broadens the scope to include biofuels produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks such as agricultural residues, forestry waste, industrial by-products and algae.