India weighs ethanol as commercial cooking fuel amid LPG shortages
India is looking at considering ethanol as a complementary clean cooking fuel in commercial kitchens, thanks to ongoing LPG shortages.
The government wants to tap into its massive surplus, about 1,000 crore liters of ethanol, to cut down on costly LPG imports.
A proposal is headed to a panel of key ministries, including petroleum and road transport, to get things rolling.
Ethanol cheaper, 2,000 cr liters capacity
Ethanol costs much less than commercial LPG (₹70 vs. ₹103 per kg) and is made from crops like sugarcane and maize grown right here in India.
While it packs a bit less energy than LPG, it burns cleaner and could give rural economies a real boost by creating more demand for local produce.
With production capacity now at 2,000 crore liters, the industry's ready to run trials and set safety standards with the government's help.