News: A webinar on the occasion of the World Biofuel day was organized by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with the theme “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
Facts:
- World Biofuel Day: It is observed every year on 10th August to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels.
- It has been celebrated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas since 2015.
- Biofuel: These are liquid/ solid or gaseous fuels produced from biomass resources. They are used in place of, or in addition to, diesel, petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications.
- Classification of Biofuels:
- First generation biofuels: It refers to the fuels that have been derived from sources like starch, sugar, animal fats and vegetable oil.
- Second generation biofuels – These are produced from non-food crops, such as cellulosic biofuels and waste biomass (stalks of wheat and corn, and wood). Examples include advanced biofuels like biohydrogen, biomethanol.
- Third generation biofuels – These are produced from specially engineered energy crops such as algae.
- Fourth-Generation Biofuels: It uses genetically modified (GM) algae to enhance biofuel production.
Initiatives launched for Promoting Biofuels:
- National Policy on Biofuels,2018:
- Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana: It was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to provide financial support to Integrated Bio-Ethanol Projects using lignocellulosic biomass & other renewable feedstock.
- Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme: It was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to promote Compressed Biogas as an alternative, green transport fuel by establishing 5000 Compressed Biogas(CBG) plants across the country by 2023.
