N.S. Venkataraman lists the advantages of popularising cultivation of algae, sugar beet and bamboo as sources of biofuels and ethanol, to benefit farmers and also the Indian national economy. Production of large amounts of biofuel/ ethanol from algae and ethanol from beet sugar will enable India to reduce import dependence on crude oil to some extent and move towards achieving the zero emission target, he says
On Earth Day – 22nd April – this year, Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, speaking at an event, said the contribution of agriculture to the GDP (gross domestic product) had come down to 14 per cent over the years in India. This significant statement merits informed national debate on appropriate methods to mitigate the situation in an eco-friendly and holistic manner. The area available for agriculture has been steadily coming down in India to some extent, due to diversion of agricultural land for infrastructure projects, housing, etc. At present, the manufacturing sector contributes 22 per cent to the national GDP, and the services sector contributes 54 per cent.
Obviously, to improve the share of agriculture, farming activities need to be made economically viable and nationally relevant, while at the same time providing environmental benefits. The agricultural sector in India is largely dominated by wheat, paddy, sugarcane and cotton. The government has been trying to help farmers improve their income by providing minimum support prices for a few crops and by initiating some other proactive measures, but these steps have only helped the farming community sustain agricultural operations at the present level, not to enhance the sector’s contribution to national growth.
Ethanol-blended petrol
The Union Government is focusing on blending ethanol, produced from sugarcane and other crops, with petrol to reduce the import dependence on crude oil. To achieve this objective, remunerative prices for ethanol have been announced by oil-marketing companies. Further, the government is permitting ethanol production not only from traditional feedstock of molasses but also from rice, sugar, sugarcane juice and so on. These are essentially food crops. However, these steps have not benefited farmers – it is the ethanol producing units that have gained.
There is also difference of opinion about the advisability of converting food crops into feedstock for ethanol. In our country, one of the world’s most populated, with a significant percentage of the people living below the poverty line, diverting food crops for ethanol production may be a questionable decision. Food crops are primarily for human consumption. Further, instead of using the starch produced from maize for production of ethanol, it can be utilised to make derivative chemicals, currently produced from petrochemical feedstock or imported. Using starch as feedstock for derivative products can help reduce the import of crude oil and also provide better returns for the farming community for cultivating such crops – more than what can be earned by using starch for producing ethanol.
In this context, the Union Transport Minister’s suggestion to produce ethanol from bamboo is an excellent one. It will not attract the same conflicts as food crops. Also, massive production of ethanol from bamboo would provide economic and social benefits to the farming community, particularly in the Northeastern Region. There are two more well-accepted options that are elegant ways of combining agricultural operations and industrial activities, providing holistic growth and meeting the need to advance agriculture and ensure economic growth:
Ethanol from algae: Algae contains an of average 20 per cent to 25 per cent oil, depending on the species. It is a quick-growing crop and takes only around four weeks to reach harvest stage. Good sunshine and carbon dioxide, plus brackish, saline or sea water are needed. As a crop, it can be grown in wasteland and will not be a competitor for food crops. Biofuel can be extracted from algae and ethanol can be produced from the algae biomass by the fermentation process.
Considering the large availability of waste land in India, as well as good sunshine and carbon dioxide emitted in huge quantities by power plants and others industrial units, growth and utilisation of algae crop can be a win-win situation for the country. Algae can be cultivated in several regions, and facilities for extracting biofuel and producing ethanol can be set up nearby, thus significantly contributing to improving the economy of rural India.
Ethanol from sugar beet: The feasibility of promoting beet (sugar beet) has to be actively examined in India. Sugar beet is not only the source of sugar, but also provides several by-products such as molasses for production of alcohol (ethanol), pulp and leaves for cattle feed. Sugar beet cultivation requires less water as compared to sugarcane, and two crops of sugar beet can be cultivated in one year. It is an excellent option for rotation with most crops, thus enhancing productivity. Sugar beet can yield the same amount of sugar as sugarcane per land unit in half the time (five to six months vs 12 months) with one-third the water requirement. Globally, 70 per cent of the feedstock requirement for the sugar industry is met by sugarcane and the rest by sugar beet.
Need for government policy initiatives
Several R&D initiatives have been launched with active government support in various countries, including the US, to promote algae cultivation for the production of biofuels and ethanol. Commercial success has already been achieved to a significant extent. Despite several advantages, algae and sugar beets are not being cultivated in India. Obviously, production of large amounts of biofuel/ ethanol from algae and ethanol from beet sugar will enable India to reduce import dependence on crude oil to some extent and move towards achieving the zero emission target, apart from helping improve the contribution of the agricultural sector to the GDP.
(The writer is trustee, Nandini Voice for the Deprived, a not-for-profit organisation in Chennai that aims to highlight the problems of the downtrodden and deprived and support their cause, promote probity and ethical values in private and public life, and deliberate on socio-economic issues in a dispassionate and objective manner. He is a chemical engineer.)
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