The 21st century India has rightly adopted an agile approach for its growth and a lot of focus has been on transforming the way the economy creates value. Last few years have gone into laying foundations for new avenues and Smart solutions, especially ones that are helping to save environment, that too exponentially.
The auto-industry is brewing with many such solutions and many of them have already hit the ground. The use of Alternative Fuels are also being looked upon with keen endorsement. From electricity run cars and propane vehicles to natural gas-powered buses and trucks running on bio-diesel, the use of alternative fuels is becoming a craze like never before. Unlike conventional energy sources, alternative fuels have various sources to be harnessed for varied purposes. Also, in a country where we need millions of new jobs every year, renewable energy creates new jobs opportunities also.
Alternative fuels are non-conventional and advanced fuels, which can be used in place of existing fossil fuels like petroleum products, coal, natural gas and others. They are being highly preferred over conventional fuels because of their obvious advantages like relatively low cost, environmental and emission benefits, domestic availability, employment generation, storage benefit etc. Bio-diesel, bio-alcohol like methanol, ethanol, butane, refuse or waste-derived fuel, chemically stored electricity like batteries and fuel cells, hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, vegetable oil, propane and other biomass sources are some of the alternative fuels, being used worldwide. Alternative fuels are often low-cost and they also produce less waste and particulate matter, carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbons and sulphur dioxide.
The world’s most advanced technology – developed Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Toyota Mirai was also very recently launched in the country. It is an important initiative which will promote clean energy and environmental protection by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, thereby making India ‘Energy Self-reliant’ by 2047. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), powered by Hydrogen is one of the best Zero Emission solutions, which is completely environment friendly with no tailpipe emissions other than water.
The government is said to be working plans to shift public transportation to 100% clean energy sources. It has been stated that the automobile companies will start manufacturing flex-fuel variants within six months and that most vehicles in India will soon run on 100% ethanol. Though the most commonly used flex-fuels use 85% petrol and 15% ethanol presently, the upside of ethanol-based fuels is that the ratio of ethanol to petrol can be adjusted to any combination. It is also important to mention that unlike CNG cars, flex-fuel requires minimal modifications to the fuel system and engine to effectively use the fuel. Therefore, flex-fuel compatibility has to be factory-engineered and cannot be fitted or modified in the after-market. India has permitted ethanol production from B-heavy molasses, C-heavy molasses, grains unfit for human consumption, sugarcane juice, sugar, sugar syrup, surplus rice and maize, so that they don’t cause food shortage. Contrary to the popular notion with regard to an aversion to changes, Bihar became the first state in the country to have its own ethanol policy. Ethanol Production Promotion Policy, 2021 of the state permits ethanol production in Bihar from all feed stocks allowed by National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, and also by National Biofuel Co-ordination Committee.
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