In the Brazilian space of Auto Expo 2023, holder of the Oil and Natural Gas portfolio in India, Hardeep Singh Puri, highlights the partnership with Brazil and advances in ethanol in the country.
India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, visited the Brazilian space in the pavilion dedicated to ethanol at Auto Expo 2023, one of the main automobile shows in Asia, open to the public on Friday (13), in Greater Noida, about 40 km from New Delhi, reports the Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry Union (Unica). The minister was received by the executive director of Unica, Eduardo Leão de Sousa, and the executive director of Apla, Flávio Castellari, as well as representatives of the Indian private sector.
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During the visit, Puri highlighted the importance of ethanol in the decarbonization process of the transport sector. He highlighted the advancement, over the last few years, of the percentage of biofuel blending in gasoline, as well as the partnership with Brazil to achieve good results from the program, stating that ethanol is the “green fuel of the future in India”.
“This journey with ethanol began a few years ago. In 2014 we tried to have a mix of 5% but were unsuccessful. However, today I have the pleasure of walking through this exhibition and seeing that we have a mix of 12%. Ethanol's time has come. And we are celebrating its advantages and positive contributions to the environment and economic development”, commented Puri.
In 2021, India announced the anticipation of the target of mixing 20% of ethanol in gasoline by five years, to 2025. Parallel to this initiative, cars with flexfuel technology will begin to circulate this year, with engines that run on both gasoline and ethanol (E100), in any proportion.
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
Minister Puri's visit marked the launch of the Virtual Center of Excellence in Bioenergy (CoE), an initiative by Unica in partnership with the Indian Automobile Manufacturers' Association (SIAM). In 2022, the entities signed a memorandum of understanding to promote ethanol in both countries and contribute technical information so that other nations, with a vocation for this agroindustry, can develop the technology. SIAM is also the coordinator of the Ethanol Pavilion at Auto Expo 2023.
“Our partnership with SIAM has been extremely fruitful in ensuring the success of the ethanol program in India. We are extremely happy to dedicate the CoE to India and hope that it will help all interested parties to acquire up-to-date information on technological advancements, technical standards, regulations, public policies and sustainability related to biomass and bioenergy”, said the executive director of Unica , Eduardo Leão de Sousa.
SIAM President Vinod Aggarwal said the launch of the CoE will support and complement governments' efforts in promoting bioenergy, biofuels and other bio-based fuels for low-carbon mobility in India and Brazil.
“We are confident that the CoE will help stakeholders understand ethanol and the technologies available to enable a smooth and efficient transition,” said Aggarwal. “We would like to thank Unica for their support and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership,” he added.
The presentation of the Center of Excellence gained an exclusive and prominent space in the Brazilian stand. The Brazil space at Auto Expo 2023 is promoted by Unica (Union of the Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry), APLA (Local Alcohol Production Arrangement), ApexBrasil (Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , through the Brazilian Embassy in India.
The area is 250 square meters and has three sections, in which visitors can interact with elements developed to bring experiences and knowledge about the benefits of ethanol for the environment, people's health and to improve air quality in cities.
BRAZIL-INDIA BILATERALS
This week, Unica and Apla also participated in an intense agenda of meetings to strengthen cooperation between countries in the area of bioenergy. Among the bilaterals, the meeting with the Sous Sherpa of India at the G20, Abhay Thakur, and with representatives of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, of the Government of India, stands out. The dialogue, accompanied by representatives of the Brazilian Embassy in India, encouraged greater collaboration between the two countries in the area of ethanol and biofuels.
“We had excellent meetings, both with the government and the private sector. Everyone highlighted the importance of Brazil's support in advancing the ethanol program, an agenda that brings great opportunities for the Indian industry”, commented Apla's executive director, Flávio Castellari.
APEXBRASIL PROJECT
The Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) and Unica made public in February 2008 a strategy to promote the image of sugar-energy products abroad, especially Brazilian ethanol as a clean and renewable energy. The two entities signed an agreement that provides for shared investments. The project aims to influence the process of building the image of ethanol and other sugarcane derivatives among the main global opinion makers – governments and the media, as well as trading companies, potential investors and importers, NGOs and consumers.
Source: datagro
