New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the existing National Policy on Biofuels that came up in 2018.
The new amendments will expand the scope of allowing more feedstocks for the production of biofuels, advancing the ethanol blending target of 20% with petrol by five years to 2025-26 from 2030.
They will also promote the production of biofuels in the country, under the Make in India program, by units located in Special Economic Zones and Export Oriented Units.
The amendments are also to grant permission for the export of biofuels in specific cases, and to amend certain phrases in the policy in line with decisions taken during the meetings of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC).
"This amendment proposal will pave the way for Make in India drive thereby leading to a reduction in import of petroleum products by the generation of more and more biofuels," the government said.
Due to advancements in the field of biofuels, various decisions are taken in the NBCC meetings to increase biofuel production, the recommendation of the Standing Committee and the decision to advance to introduce of ethanol-blended petrol with up to 20 percent ethanol throughout the country from April 1, are to be incorporated in the National Policy on Biofuels through the amendments.
Since many more feedstocks are being allowed for the production of biofuels, this will promote the Atmanirbhar Bharat and give an impetus to the Prime Minister's vision of India becoming 'energy independent' by 2047, it said.
The National Policy on Biofuels-2018 was notified by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on June 4, 2018, in supersession of the National Policy on Biofuels, promulgated through the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in 2009.