NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY SECURITY FOR INDIA

On the occasion of World Biofuel Day, a National Conference on ‘Energy Security for India - Creating a Bio - fuel Economy’ was organized in New Delhi on August 10, 2016. Arshi Talwar (16182) student from Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Dronacharya College of Engineering, Gurgaon attended the conference.

The World Bio - fuel Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the anniversary of the successful working of a diesel engine, run on peanut oil, by German innovator Rudolf Diesel in 1893. The National conference brought together stakeholders of the Bio - fuel sector viz., the Government, Public Sector Undertakings and the Private Sector. The conference aimed at accelerating the bio - fuel programme in the country and draw up a road map to reduce the consumption of fossils fuels by replacing it with locally produced bio fuels thus reducing the foreign exchange out flow, generate rural employment and protect environment.

Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas mentioned “The biofuel business in India is expected to grow from Rs. 6500 Crore to Rs. 1 lakh crore in the next 10 years,” He discussed that the Prime Minister has set a target of 10 percent import reduction in crude by 2022 and biofuels can play an important role in achieving the target. Shifting the fuel consumption profile to biofuels derived from domestic feed stocks would lead to decrease in this dependence on crude oil imports. In the last 2 years, lot of work has been done in Ethanol Blending Programme, producing biodiesel as well as using bio waste for converting into energy. India’s energy consumption is increasing very fast and it has become the third largest consumer in the world. India has taken several initiatives in the field of bio fuels in the last two years. Several policy interventions and clearing of many hurdles in implementation of National blending targets have been under taken by Government of India.

Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan briefed about the biofuel programme has the capacity to provide better remuneration for farmers, address environmental concerns, reduce dependence on imports and help in foreign exchange savings. The government is willing to provide a conducive policy environment to support development of biofuel but import of raw material or waste for this purpose cannot be allowed. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Mr Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines called for organizing an International competition, under the aegis of the MoPNG, MNRE and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and invite stakeholders from all over the world to brainstorm and devise innovative technologies and novel ideas to integrate the use of bio-fuels in the lives of the common man. Mr Goyal discussed speed, skill and scale are key features for success of any programme and they should be included in the biofuel programme also. He further added that biofuels are closely linked to increase the quality of life of the common man.

The conference provided the awareness of bio fuel in young youth and make them understand the advantage of bio - fuels.

Some Glimpses: