Biofuels in India : Role of Research and Development Alok Adholeya, The Energy and Resources Institute,New Delhi, India 7/14/2007 1 Drivers Energy security Employment needs Ecological restoration Decentralized energy needs 7/14/2007 2 1
Energy Consumption Indian Scenario 5 th largest energy consumer Per capita energy requirement is lowest 2003-04 India imported 90 MT of crude oil which is 70% of its requirement By 2030 estimated consumption 5.6 m barrels/day 95% to be met from import 7/14/2007 3 Prospect of Biodiesel in India A study points out that that out of India 175 million hectares of wastelands if 30 million hectares can be brought under the cultivation of high-yielding treeborne oilseeds such as Jatropha, Mahua and Pongamia could make significant contribution towards Energy security Apart from this it can also provide direct employment to around 15 million people. 7/14/2007 4 2
India : Diesel demand & Biodiesel projections Year High-speed diesel demand (million tones) Bio-diesel at 5% blend (million tonnes) Bio-diesel at 10% blend (million tonnes) Bio-diesel at 20% blend (million tonnes) 2010 66.07 3.30 6.60 13.20 2020 111.92 5.60 11.20 22.40 2030 202.84 10.14 20.28 40.56 Source : Planning Commission 7/14/2007 5 Biofuel status 40% of total energy requirement, especially in rural households, is met by non-commercial energy sources such as fuel wood, crop residue and animal waste. Ethanol production of India is ranked 4th largest in the world. However, the production capacity of India was much more than its actual production. With uses in different segments, ethanol demand is increasing in India. 7/14/2007 6 3
Rural energy demand Total energy requirement of Agriculture + rural household sector = 52828.35 Million kwh Biodiesel generation from 40 Mha land (Best case scenario) = 35. 4 Million Tonnes oil= 10726 kwh Biodiesel generation from 4 Mha land (Present scenario) = 3.9 Million Tonnes oil = 1180 Million Kwh 7/14/2007 7 Topics of Discussion National innovation systems Advantages of new technologies and its impact on climate change Role of modern biotechnology 7/14/2007 8 4
National innovation system and policies Program on inventorization of potential feedstock Lignocellulosic(From various feedstock's from agriculture) conversion to ethanol Field evaluation trials Biotechnological interventions Indigenous process optimization and hardware development 7/14/2007 9 Policy Initiatives for Biofuel sector in India 5% Ethanol Blending mandatory is 9 States and 4 Union Territories w.e.f. Jan 2003. Biodiesel Purchase Policy announced on 9 th Oct., 2005 Biodiesel Standards and Specifications prepared (BIS 15607) Setting up of an independent National Biofuel Board under consideration 7/14/2007 10 5
National Mission on Biodiesel Nursery and Demonstration Phase I - 0.4 mha upto 2011 Phase II -11.2 mha Primary focus on Jatropha Alternate feed stock Pongamia, Mahua etc Research and Development Improved planting material Certification for quality Improved nursery practices Efficient Transesterification process 7/14/2007 11 Agencies engaged Ministry of Science & Technology Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Rural Development Ministry of Environment & Forest Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas NGO s, Research Institutes and Universities Industries State Governments The Energy and Resources Institute 7/14/2007 12 6
Technologies and hardware's Small capacity self sustaining processes with highest efficiency and quality Small capacity hardware's relevant to infrastructure availability and appropriate for decentralized mode 7/14/2007 13 Advantages of new technologies and its impact on climate change 7/14/2007 14 7
Feedstock: Various sugar- and starch-based feedstock can be used for ethanol production, these include sugar cane, bagasse, miscanthus, sugar beet, sorghum,, switchgrass, barley, hemp, kenaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sunflower, molasses, whey or skim milk, corn, stover, grain, wheat, wood, paper, straw, and cotton.. Another group of feedstock which can be used for ethanol production is cellulosic materials, including various agricultural residues (e.g. corn stover, wheat straw), herbaceous materials (e.g., switchgrass) and woody materials (e.g., poplar wood) 7/14/2007 15 Sweet sorghum Country s ethanol requirement - 0.64 billion liters /annuum (5% level of doping in petrol) molasses can meet - 36%: Prices of molasses are volatile- high price fluctuation between states and seasons Till recently, molasses prices - soaring due to low sugar cane production, however, again recently the prices are showing declining trend Export opportunities Rest must come from other sources (multi feedstock policy) Wide scope for alternate feed-stocks sweet sorghum sugar beet Grains may be needed in potable alcohol sector 7/14/2007 16 8
Sweet sorghum Vs Sugarcane cultivation Ethyl alcohol : from stalk juice by fermentation and distillation as similar to molasses route, but without any pollution hazards. Propagation: seeds in sweet sorghum:, sugarcane by setts Short duration: 115-120days vis-a-vis12-18 months of sugarcane Water requirement - one fourth/third of sugarcane Water use or seasonal ET: Sorghum: 508 mm, Sugarcane: 1257 mm. Currently available cultivars : 2 tonne/ha of grain (also a good source for potable alcohol) and valuable bagasse - cattle-feed, paper, and for co-generation of power. 7/14/2007 17 Challenges: Technological 1. Designing of hardware (machines presently not available): Decortication or fibre separation 2. Development of highly efficient costeconomic technologies for an efficient process of transesterification 7/14/2007 18 9
Market needs:new technologies for small Biofuels /feedstock producer 7/14/2007 19 Quality Planting Material: An essential requirement for ensuring commercial production Quality raw material is critical to the success of a commercial plantation To ensure cost-effective, large scale commercial plantation, issues to be resolved are Systematic germplasm collection and evaluation programme to identify superior material from the existing natural variations Establish clonal seed orchards and develop mass multiplication techniques to ensure easy supply of elite planting material to growers. A series of multi-locational trials under different agro-climatic conditions to establish authentic data on yield estimates and 7/14/2007 20 economic of production. 10
Quality Planting Material: Continued.. No chemical fertilizer use in plant production results in to environmental safety, reduced costs and positive energy balance Better potential for carbon credits 7/14/2007 21 Mycorrhiza in nature Extensive fungal network Plant interphase Mycorrhiza Mycorrhiza MYCORRHIZA P N Plants extended arms Cu Mn Zn K Heavy metals & trace elements Mycorrhizal 7/14/2007 plant Substrate binding Active structure inside root 22 11
Mycorrhiza Technology Plant from soil Optimization of surface sterilization protocols Field application Finished product From soil to laboratory back to Development of hairy root cultures Formulation soil Mass production 7/14/2007 23 Benefits of Mycorrhiza in feedstock production 7/14/2007 24 12
40 mycorrhized Non-mycorrhized Age- 80 Days 30 Sapling height (cm) 20 10 0 A B C D Germplasms A- Chhattisgarh, B- Tamil Nadu, C- Karnataka, D- Maharastra 7/14/2007 25 1.4 1.2 Mycorrhized Non mycorrhized Age- 80 Days 1.0 Stem girth (cm) 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 A B C D Germplasms A- Chhattisgarh, B- Tamil Nadu, C- Karnataka, D- Maharastra 7/14/2007 26 13
14 12 Mycorrhized Non-mycorrhized Age- 80 Days Leaf number (sapling -1 ) 10 8 6 4 2 0 A B C D Germplasms A- Chhattisgarh, B- Tamil Nadu, C- Karnataka, D- Maharastra 7/14/2007 27 Graded seeded Plants 7/14/2007 28 14
Nursery 7/14/2007 29 7/14/2007 30 15
Sugarcane Yield enhancement- 2-5 tonnes additional yield. Cost benefit ratio of 1: 3.6. Fertilizer reduction - 25 % fertilizer (SSP). 7/14/2007 31 Biodiesel from Wastelands Distillery effluent loaded site Emergence of energy crops provides a new market niche An opportunity to diversify farming operations Make more efficient use of land-even marginal land-without sacrificing sound conservation standards. Fly Ash Overburdens Low moisture availability Nutritionally deficient soils Other stresses 7/14/2007 32 16
Energy consumption in Jatropha A 8000 Ha. Jatropha plantation (20 Million plants) could consume 21840 Gcal if conventional fertilizer is applied Now for the same plantation 4000 Million mycorrhiza propagules are being applied leading to a saving of 21.8 Million Rs (US$ 0.52 Million) 7/14/2007 33 Role of modern biotechnology 7/14/2007 34 17
R&D and Market needs Genetic Marker Value added Improved oil improvement for assisted products quality and quality planting selection for Glycerol transesterification material Oil Oil Cake process Yield Yield Biological catalyst Oil content Heterogeneous Catalyst Biotic and abiotic Continuous process stress Mixed feed stocks Approaches - Natural selection - Breeding - Transgenic 7/14/2007 35 Biotechnological interventions for feedstock improvement R&D efforts required for Pyramiding of economically important traits Developing plant varieties with improved oil content, quality and yield Developing site specific genotypes for different agroclimatic conditions Developing molecular markers linked to specific desirable traits 7/14/2007 36 18
What would be relevent for Mocambique Countrywide selection, characterization, collection and conservation of superior material Complete characterization of germplasm, development of a national database Concerted R&D and tree improvement programme A National certification programme to ensure quality of raw material Developing nurseries for supply of quality material and incorporation of mycorrhiza and micro propagation technologies Molecular assisted breeding 7/14/2007 37 Saving on account of reduced/zero Fertilizer application 1 tonnes of CO 2 = 1 CER Energy Plantation Saving due to reduced GHG emissions from blended fuels Saving on Carbon accumulation in plant biomass The tripartite system 7/14/2007 38 19
Project Green- Turning Vision into Reality 7/14/2007 39 Project Green Growing Renewable Energy for Energy security Overall objective Access to non-food feedstocks key to the long term viability of biofuels To demonstrate the viability of bio-diesel production from Jatropha at commercial scale using the most appropriate optimum technologies, and to understand the environmental & socio-economic impacts A project to bridge knowledge gaps and develop learnings for future advantage 7/14/2007 40 20
Project Scope 20 million Jatropha seedlings in blocks, intercropping and boundary plantation over 8,000 hectares Provide optimum technological support throughout the value chain Institutionalize backward and forward linkages Mobilize all the resources,logistics and technical know how needed for the above objectives Conduct Environmental and Social Impact Assessment 7/14/2007 41 Baseline Survey Awareness Campaign Community Mobilization Microcredit Nursery Raising Baseline Survey for Agro processing Plantation activity Capacity building & Training Plantation Management Collection of Feedstock Storage of Feedstock Value Chain Processing of feedstock Processing of Oil 7/14/2007 42 Marketing of Product & By-product (s) 21
Major Learnings Nurseries in national context needs to be handled in a proven technology mode considering all logistics as crucial components Mobilization of communities for jatropha plantation require to build confidence among them about standard technology for plantation and aftercare which provide better outcome and low risk factor than conventionally adopted crop models. 7/14/2007 43 R&D Needs for value addition Efficient Process for Biodiesel Production Presence of minimum amounts of triglyceride, diglyceride and mongoglycerides in the biodiesel Phytochemicals & Nutraceuticals from oil & other parts of the tree (leaves, flowers, bark etc.) Alternate applications for oilseed cake (rich in Starch and Protein) 7/14/2007 44 22
Next Generation technologies The technology that can efficiently produce biofuels from lignocellulosic source needs to be optimized - globally the race is on Microorganisms and enzyme which degrade lignocelluloses are to be engineered A single microbe to degrade cellulose, ferment hexose and pentose and produce ethanol is the key to success Algae that yield biodiesel Botryococcus Bacteria that convert biomass to hydrogen Entero bacteria 7/14/2007 45 One kilogram of dry algal biomass utilizes up to 1.7 kg carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) but generally a relationship of 1kg of algae biomass to 1kg of CO 2 is used for calculations (Department of agriculture and food, Government of Australia) 7/14/2007 46 23
7/14/2007 47 Why we do not talk about Energy balance? 7/14/2007 48 24
Biotech s Third Wave. The power of industrial biotechnology to create more environmentally sustainable processes, can help countries move away from a petroleum-based economy to a bio-based economy Source : BIOSPECTRUM May, 2006 7/14/2007 49 Thanks for your attention 7/14/2007 50 25