Environmental Research Journal

Year: 2019
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Page No. 83 - 87

Techno Economic Analysis of Bio-Ethanol Production as Bio-Fuel in Karnataka State

Authors : M.R. Srinivas and A.C. Lokesh

Abstract: India is the second largest commercial energy consumer in Non-OECD East Asia, comprising 19% of the region’s total primary energy consumption. Economic growth in India has largely been associated with increased energy consumption. While 60% of total energy needs in India are met by commercial energy sources, remaining 40% are comprised of non-conventional fuels. To increase the percentage of non-conventional fuel the government of India has planned to blend 10% of ethanol to the gasoline which requires 2660 mL of ethanol but currently, we have only 1340 mL of ethanol production capacity from sugarcane industries from all over India with a blend rate of 5%. As per the bio-fuel policies of India, the feed stocks used for producing bio-fuel must come from non-edible source only. Ethanol produced as of now in India is through molasses which is a by-product of sugar industry. This ethanol has a well-established market in liquor, pharmaceutical and in other industries. Hence, other sources of ethanol production feed stock as per Indian policies is from cellulose. In view of this rational, this study was carried out to analyse cellulosic ethanol production from five feed stocks (i.e., straw, bagasse, eucalyptus, poplar and switch grass). This techno-economic analysis of cellulosic ethanol production of the five feedstock revealed that poplar based ethanol production was economically (Rs.49/L) and environmentally (carbon foot print: 10.6 kg/mega joule) feasible.

How to cite this article:

M.R. Srinivas and A.C. Lokesh, 2019. Techno Economic Analysis of Bio-Ethanol Production as Bio-Fuel in Karnataka State. Environmental Research Journal, 13: 83-87.

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