India Inaugurates First Second-Generation Biofuel Plant

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan today inaugurated the country's first second-Generation (2G) Ethanol plant at Kashipur in Uttarakhand.

The plant, which has a capacity to consume 10 tonne of biomass per day, is based on the globally-competitive indigenous technology of converting lingo-cellulosic biomass to Ethanol. It is projected to converting all types of agricultural residues like bagasse, rice and wheat straw, bamboo, cotton stalk, corn stover, wood chips to ethanol in less than 24 hours, with optimum yields.

If successful, it will establish India as a major global technology provider in the arena of renewables and reduction in carbon-emissions as well as save considerable amount of the budget in the import of crude-oil. The Government has also set a mandate of 5 percent blending of renewable biofuel in both petrol and diesel.