Biofuels & Biogas And Their Role For India’s Development Vision As Double Engine

The corridors of biofuels are estimated to boost employment with the creation of millions of biofuel value chain jobs regarding the procurement, processing and distribution of feedstock
India is gearing up for becoming a developed nation and is putting infrastructure in place as a key part of its strategy to achieve energy independence. With such rapid development, energy solutions need to be sustainable, secure, and much more encompassing to cater to the present and future need. Biofuels and biogas can prove to be the foundation stone for renewable energy, rural empowerment and environmental security. Strategically, biofuels is integral to energy security along with serving as key combatants against climate change. The International Energy Agency on the matter at hand is unabashed of biofuels saying that Net Zero is unobtainable without its stacked and hierarchical resources making it a prime candidate for Biofuels
The Tactical Framework Of Operational Biofuels In India
The surge in India’s energy needs will require 2,100 GW of power by 2047 to meet 708 GW of peak demand. India’s primary solar and wind energy targets require full backup biofuel based resources in place. India aims to increase its non-fossil energy resources to 500GW by 2030 and 1,800 GW by 2047.
Part of this mosaic is provided by biofuels, which serve as grid stabilizers, reduce imports of fossil fuels that burden foreign reserves, and is in line with India’s net-zero emission target by 2070. The National Biofuel Policy of 2018 and the SATAT scheme that promotes compressed biogas plants are policy initiatives that show shifting focus towards waste-to-wealth circular economies which aim to convert agricultural residue, municipal waste and other organic waste to energy.
Economic Transformation: Investment, Jobs, And Revitalisation Of Rural Areas
As far as developing countries are concerned, biofuels serve as an economic booster. They make use of the over-abundant agricultural assets of crop waste, degraded lands and under utilized biomass for the creation of decentralized energy systems. In India, which is largely agrarian with over 45 per cent of the workforce in agriculture, there is tremendous potential for rural rejuvenation from the biofuel value chains.
The corridors of biofuels are estimated to boost employment with the creation of millions of biofuel value chain jobs regarding the procurement, processing and distribution of feedstock. A 33 lakh crore (USD 400 billion) investment is expected to be made to the 2030 renewable targets of India, which has been cited as the investment potential.
Clean Energy Access: Clean biogas for cooking reduces our dependency of LPG (99.8 per cent households in India is dependent on LPG) cutting down on import of crude in future. – Environmental perseverance: Waste, Emissions, and Circularity The solution based on biofuels can handle waste pollution as well as carbon emissions simultaneously.
In India more than 350 million tonne of farm waste is generated each year in field, out of which 24 per cent is burnt leading to pollution. Using this to produce biofuel could create 30 million tons of bio-CNG while reducing PM2.5 emissions. Sustainable ethanol mixes (like India’s E20 rule) lower vehicle greenhouse gases by 30–50 per cent compared to petrol. When combined with carbon credit systems—adding substantial amount to producer earnings in developing countries—biofuels become money-making climate tools. Nonedible crops like Napier can be grown on barren lands leading to decrease in soil depletion and boosting biological ecosystem.
The future pathway: Policy, Innovation, and Global Leadership In order to attain sustainability in real terms, we need to ensure: strong policy frameworks: beef up rules (like ethanol mixing), simplify land-use guidelines to avoid food-fuel clashes, and encourage sustainable raw materials, technology leapfrogging: invest in second-generation biofuels (2G) derived from agricultural waste and algae to alleviate the issue of competing with food production. India’s twelve 2G biorefineries place the country in the leading position. Global collaboration: best practice sharing from platforms such as IEA Bioenergy and Unido that facilitate clean transition in emerging economies.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication