NOIDA: PM Modi inaugurated Noida International Airport in Jewar on Saturday, and dwelled at length on energy supply turbulence precipitated by the West Asia conflict, underlining ethanol blending as a key strategy to reduce dependence on crude oil imports.Modi said that the country would have had to import an additional 4.5 crore barrels of crude annually — equivalent to 700 crore litres — if not for ethanol blending in petrol.“Farmers’ efforts in this have given a lot of relief to the country at this time of global crisis,” he said. Ethanol production, he added, has not only benefited the nation but also farmers, with approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of foreign exchange being saved.
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Jewar is a gateway to the sugarcane belts of western UP. Sugarcane feedstock is a key source of ethanol.Govt secured supplies, protecting people from fuel price rise: ModiIn a recent speech in Parliament, PM Narendra Modi had highlighted the progress in ethanol blending, from a mere 1-1.5% a decade ago to nearly 20% today. This has reduced oil imports by approximately four and a half crore barrels per year, he had said, also citing electrification of railways, which has saved roughly 180 crore litres of diesel annually, and expansion of metro networks.India achieved its E20 ethanol blending target — mixing 20% ethanol with petrol — ahead of schedule in 2025, a goal set under the Modi govt to cut fuel import bills and reduce emissions. The All India Distillers’ Association has offered to supply ethanol blends exceeding 20%. India’s ethanol sector now has a cumulative production capacity of around 2,000 crore litres, of which over 1,000 crore litres is used for blending with petrol.In his Jewar speech, Modi also said that while crude prices had risen because of the US-Israel war with Iran, India had made all efforts to secure its supplies and ensure that common people were not affected by the price rise.“We also import fuel from the war-affected area. Each country is taking measures to deal with this issue. We are also taking all measures to ensure common people do not face any stress,” he said. Crude prices have surged globally, but this has not been reflected in retail prices of petrol and diesel in India.“The issue arising from the war… we have discussed this in Parliament. I also spoke to CMs of different states on this. I again call on people to address this issue unitedly, peacefully. This is a global crisis. We have to care about our country, and this is our strength. I also urge all party leaders that in a crisis like this avoid talk that is not good for the country,” he said.
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