India eyes butanol after hitting 20% ethanol blending target
After hitting its 20% ethanol blending target in gasoline, India is now eyeing butanol as the next big thing in clean fuels.
Ethanol helped cut oil imports and boosted sugar mills, but it has some downsides, like lower fuel efficiency and engine issues.
Butanol could solve these problems thanks to its higher energy content and better compatibility with current engines.
MC2 Grand Butanol Challenge offers ₹12.5cr
Butanol packs more energy than ethanol, is easier to store, and can be mixed with gasoline in larger amounts without harming engines.
To speed things up, the government-backed MC2 Grand Butanol Challenge is offering ₹12.5 crore for innovations that turn farm waste into butanol efficiently.
By involving oil companies early on, the aim is to make sure these breakthroughs actually hit the roads and help India rely less on imported fuel.