World Biofuel day 2020 | UPSC
HEADLINES:
Webinar on the occasion of the World Biofuel day organized
WHY IN NEWS:
Secretary, PNG calls for support of states for the sector in a big way, and also sensitizing other the farmers and the common public in waste management
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Biofuels from biomass : Biotechnology
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS go through aim , theme and significance of this event .
For MAINS we have mentioned everything about production of Biofuels. Let us dive in !
ISSUE:
WORLD BIO-FUEL DAY 2020
AIM
- Ministry of Petroleum & Natural gas has started observing the World Bio fuel Day since 2015.
THEME
- “Biofuels towards atmanirbhar bharat”
- Biofuels programme is also in synergy with Government of India’s initiative of Atmanirbhar Bharat and accordingly, the theme for World Biofuel Day 2020 has been chosen.
BIOFUELS
- Biofuels are environment friendly fuels and their utilization would address global concerns about containment of carbon emissions.
- SOLID BIOFUELS : Wood, dried plant material, and manure
- LIQUID BIOFUELS : Bioethanol and Biodiesel
- GASEOUS BIOFUELS : Biogas
SIGNIFICANCE
- Biofuels are derived from renewable bio-mass resources.
- They provide a strategic advantage to supplement conventional energy sources in meeting the rapidly increasing requirements for transportation fuels .
- These are also additional income to farmers and employment generation in rural areas.
- The biofuels programme is also in synergy with the Government of India initiatives for Make in India, Swachh Bharat and enhancing farmers’ income.
PRODUCTION OF BIOFUELS
BIOETHANOL
- Starch containing materials such as corn, cassava, rotten potatoes, algae etc.
- Cellulosic materials such as bagasse, wood waste, agricultural and forestry residues or other renewable resources like industrial waste.
- BIODIESEL : a methyl or ethyl ester of fatty acids produced from non-edible vegetable oils, acid oil, used cooking oil or animal fat and bio-oil.
ADVANCED BIOFUELS
- Fuels which are produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks (i.e. agricultural and forestry residues)
- Industrial waste and residue streams having low CO2 emission or high GHG reduction and do not compete with food crops for land use.
- Fuels such as Second Generation (2G) Ethanol, Drop-in fuels, algae based 3G biofuels, bio-CNG, bio-methanol, Di Methyl Ether (DME) derived from bio-methanol.
- Also Bio-hydrogen, drop in fuels with MSW as the source / feedstock material will qualify as “Advanced Biofuels“.
DROP-IN FUELS
Any liquid fuel produced from Biomass, agri-residues, wastes such as Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW), Plastic wastes, Industrial wastes etc .
BIO-CNG
- Purified form of bio-Gas whose composition & energy potential is similar to that of fossil based natural gas.
- This is produced from agricultural residues, animal dung, food waste, MSW and Sewage water.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Biofuels have multiple benefits such as reduction on import dependence, ensuring a cleaner environment, generating additional income for farmers and employment generation.
- Under the Ethanol Blending Program, OMCs have procured 113.09 Crore litres of Biodiesel from 01.12.19 to 03.08.20.
SOURCES: PIB | World Biofuel Day 2020

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