Technology is key to boost efficiency and sustainability of biofuels sector, says Ashvin Patil, Biofuels Junction
In an interaction with ET Digital, Ashvin Patil, Founder & Director, Biofuels Junction, says his company plays a critical role in the ongoing decarbonisation efforts as a supply chain partner to replace fossil fuels. Patil also explains how with the right technological solutions, India can create a more sustainable and efficient system to manage agricultural residue and promote the growth of the biofuels sector.
Edited excerpts:
The Economic Times (ET): As India aims to reduce its fossil fuel usage to 50% by 2030, what role do you see biofuels playing in this transition?
Ashvin Patil (AP): Decarbonisation is a process of replacing fossil fuels with biofuels. One major area this is happening is industrial boilers.
This is driven by ESG goals of large corporations and lending caveats by banking institutions. Another important area is co-firing — where power producers, a major polluter, are required to replace 5% of coal with biomass pellets made from agricultural residue.
The third area is compressed biogas (CBG), which is biomethane made from agricultural residue. Agricultural residue — often burnt in open fields and contributes to environmental pollution — can now be processed using anaerobic digestion to generate biomethane.
This biomethane is termed CBG, which can replace compressed natural gas (CNG) in automobiles and be used as cooking gas. The government has launched a mission to replace CNG with CBG, which will also reduce the import bill as CNG is largely imported.
