This was a commissioned project by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) - Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India to CII and this report is a comprehensive outcome of the same.
Fluctuating prices of fossil-fuels and environmental pollution associated with their use and challenges of global warming, has resulted in increased worldwide interest in the production and use of bio-fuels. Both developed and developing countries have made mix of policies which have triggered public and private investments in biofuel crop research and development and their bio-fuels production. With the recent announcement of the National Policy on Biofuels, 2009, it has become a necessity to establish a transparent mechanism to check the environmental sustainability for various categories of biofuels in this domain.
Biofuels are heavily dependent on various set of inputs and throughput parameters which are inherently either energy positive or energy negative in nature which eventually contributes to the energy and carbon balance of the respective processes. The subject "greenness of biofuels" has attracted a lot of debate in the past. The energy and carbon balance may vary across different technologies and types of biofuels depending on how biofuels are developed and manufactured.
The report provides a very comprehensive understanding regarding the energy and carbon balance of biofuels and the recommendations has contributed immensely to ensure the growth of the biofuel economy in India. The report was developed by the CII Energy Technology team in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology and in consultation with the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Ministry of Environment & Forest Commerce & Industry and many industry, cultivators, processing plants, R&D institutions and state government representatives.
For any queries on the report you may please contact:
Dr. Suprotim Ganguly, PhD
Head : Energy (Technology)
Confederation of Indian Industry
23, Mantosh Sondhi Centre
Institutional Area, Lodi Road
New Delhi -110003
Tel: +91 11 45771000, 24629994/7 ( Ext : 403) , 24641074 (D)
Email: suprotim.ganguly@cii.in