New Delhi: India is in talks with Brazil for a technological partnership to expand usage of ethanol, amid a push for alternative fuels to cut carbon emission. Brazil has been using ethanol for a very long time and there is a lot to learn from it, Union Minister V K Singh said on Tuesday.
“We can learn from them (Brazil) and collaborate with them to ensure that we also develop an ecosystem for ethanol and such alcohol-based fuels,” the MoS for Road Transport and Highways said at the ‘Assocham-Fuels of the Future 2.0’ conference in the national capital. He further said that there is a need for awareness on alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels. Beside sugarcane, ethanol can also be produced using broken rice, maize and corn.
“There is also a push on sustainable aviation fuel and we have conducted a trial of sustainable aviation fuels powered flight. The greatest challenge before us today is what alternative fuel we adopt and how we can bring about a change in mindset towards alternative fuels,” Singh said.
Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega, Ambassador, Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil, said the launch of Global BioFuel Alliance during India’s G20 presidency is indeed a groundbreaking endeavour in clean energy. “It heralds the beginning of a new phase, one that will consolidate bio-fuel technology as an important option for decarbonisation of our economies.