Enhancing India’s Biofuels Program: Examining the Role of Oxyfuels in India’s Clean Fuel Transition
The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) in association with the Asian Clean Fuels Association (ACFA) Singapore, a global consortium of leading petrochemical companies and FTI Consulting, a leading global business consulting firm, had jointly undertaken an extensive study and feasibility analysis of oxyfuels (including ethers and alcohols) for co-blending in gasoline in India. This collective effort has culminated in the creation of a pivotal report ‘Enhancing India’s Biofuels Program: Examining the Role of Oxyfuels in India’s Clean Fuel Transition’ which was launched on November 28, 2023, at TERI Headquarters, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. The report highlights the benefits of considering the introduction of oxyfuels like ethers (MTBE, ETBE, TAME) with the ethanol blend target.
The report was launched by various dignitaries including the Shri Rajnath Ram, Advisor (Energy), NITI Aayog, Government of India; Shri Alok Sharma, Executive Director, Centre for High Technology (CHT), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India; Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI; Dr Clarence Woo, Executive Director, ACFA along with PI and author Dr Piyali Das, Senior Fellow TERI and co-author Mr I V Rao, Distinguished Fellow, TERI.
The launch also saw the participation of other leading industry representatives from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, IIT Kanpur, Maruti Suzuki and other distinguished fellows from TERI. Prof Avinash Kumar Agarwal from IIT Kanpur, and Dr (Prof) Anuradda Ganesh, Advisor, Cummins India Ltd had also joined the stakeholder roundtable.
The report highlights the benefits of introducing oxyfuels like ethers (MTBE, ETBE, TAME) with the ethanol blend target. This inclusion will allow Indian refineries to ramp up production of ethers to meet domestic and export demand. India may face domestic supply challenges and lose out on a substantial export if it does not secure an adequate biofuel supply of higher RON in the next 3–5 years. From a medium to long-term perspective, the biofuel policy should support advanced R&D for scaling and commercialization of renewable ETBE and bio-MTBE production technology innovation. Fuel ethers is an important complementary and supportive gasoline component to help achieve fuel ethanol success and accelerate the process of reducing emissions in the transport Sector