<p><strong>Soumya Dutta,</strong> energy expert, environmentalist, author, trustee of MAUSAM and co-convenor of South Asian People’s Action on Climate Crisis (SAPACC) tells Rakhee Roytalukdar that the nation-wide rollout of blended E20 fuel in the name of cleaner mobility and climate action is a myth, as one has to take into account the entire process of producing the blended fuel, which leaves behind a certain amount of carbon footprint.</p> <p><strong>Why do you say E20 fuel is not climate-friendly?</strong></p> <p>Blending ethanol in petrol in the name of climate action is a myth. One has to see the backwards linkages in the production of ethanol. The entire process of cultivation, harvest, transportation of raw materials and finally the conversion of molasses to ethanol generates a certain amount of carbon footprint. Its efficacy in reducing carbon emissions and enhancing sustainability remains debatable. Moreover, sugarcane, rice, and maize are all water-intensive crops. As more areas are earmarked for sugarcane and grains production for ethanol, there would be a strain on water resources, which are already depleting in India. Also, fossil fuels are used in the production of rice, sugarcane and others. Our country cannot be compared with Brazil, which leads in ethanol production because they don’t face a water crisis, its population is 1/6th of India, and they have three times our land.</p> .E20 rollout row: Govt has no plan to go back to E0.<p><strong>Do you think the hygroscopic nature of E20 will affect the car engines?</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>E20 is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture from the air, which can affect the fuel system in vehicles. India has a humid atmosphere in many places all year round and in some seasons at other places. So it is definitely going to affect the car engines as it is more corrosive than petrol, and at higher concentrations, it can damage key fuel system components, which will require more frequent repairs. Also, the calorific value of petrol is 44 megajoules, whereas it is 30 megajoules for ethanol, so we are buying less energy for the same price as the prices have not come down after E 20 blending</p> .E20: Green Fuel and Red Flags. <p><strong>What is the net energy gain in the entire process of ethanol production?</strong></p> <p>While producing ethanol from sugarcane, EROI (Energy Return on Investment) figure, gives about (based on different conditions), 3.5 to 5.5, which is a substantial gain of energy (extra coming from the Sun through photosynthesis). Even though there's a good energy gain, the input energy is produced from coal and oil, with an efficiency of around 35-40% only. Thus, the total energy gain is reduced to around 2 (double the primary energy invested). And if ethanol is burned in a car engine, with an efficiency of 35-45% maximum efficiency, we do not gain any net energy after going through the whole process. In the case of rice-paddy, the EROI figures are very low, 1-1.5 according to different studies. That means, to produce 100 Megajoules MJ of energy, you have to invest nearly 79-90 MJ. Then there are transport, pumping, etc, losses. There is almost zero gain.</p>
<p><strong>Soumya Dutta,</strong> energy expert, environmentalist, author, trustee of MAUSAM and co-convenor of South Asian People’s Action on Climate Crisis (SAPACC) tells Rakhee Roytalukdar that the nation-wide rollout of blended E20 fuel in the name of cleaner mobility and climate action is a myth, as one has to take into account the entire process of producing the blended fuel, which leaves behind a certain amount of carbon footprint.</p> <p><strong>Why do you say E20 fuel is not climate-friendly?</strong></p> <p>Blending ethanol in petrol in the name of climate action is a myth. One has to see the backwards linkages in the production of ethanol. The entire process of cultivation, harvest, transportation of raw materials and finally the conversion of molasses to ethanol generates a certain amount of carbon footprint. Its efficacy in reducing carbon emissions and enhancing sustainability remains debatable. Moreover, sugarcane, rice, and maize are all water-intensive crops. As more areas are earmarked for sugarcane and grains production for ethanol, there would be a strain on water resources, which are already depleting in India. Also, fossil fuels are used in the production of rice, sugarcane and others. Our country cannot be compared with Brazil, which leads in ethanol production because they don’t face a water crisis, its population is 1/6th of India, and they have three times our land.</p> .E20 rollout row: Govt has no plan to go back to E0.<p><strong>Do you think the hygroscopic nature of E20 will affect the car engines?</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>E20 is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture from the air, which can affect the fuel system in vehicles. India has a humid atmosphere in many places all year round and in some seasons at other places. So it is definitely going to affect the car engines as it is more corrosive than petrol, and at higher concentrations, it can damage key fuel system components, which will require more frequent repairs. Also, the calorific value of petrol is 44 megajoules, whereas it is 30 megajoules for ethanol, so we are buying less energy for the same price as the prices have not come down after E 20 blending</p> .E20: Green Fuel and Red Flags. <p><strong>What is the net energy gain in the entire process of ethanol production?</strong></p> <p>While producing ethanol from sugarcane, EROI (Energy Return on Investment) figure, gives about (based on different conditions), 3.5 to 5.5, which is a substantial gain of energy (extra coming from the Sun through photosynthesis). Even though there's a good energy gain, the input energy is produced from coal and oil, with an efficiency of around 35-40% only. Thus, the total energy gain is reduced to around 2 (double the primary energy invested). And if ethanol is burned in a car engine, with an efficiency of 35-45% maximum efficiency, we do not gain any net energy after going through the whole process. In the case of rice-paddy, the EROI figures are very low, 1-1.5 according to different studies. That means, to produce 100 Megajoules MJ of energy, you have to invest nearly 79-90 MJ. Then there are transport, pumping, etc, losses. There is almost zero gain.</p>