Whalesbook
Toh bhaiyo aur beheno, India ek bade ethanol crisis se guzar raha hai. Humare paas ab 20 billion liters se bhi zyada ka ethanol stock jama ho gaya hai, jabki oil companies ne sirf 11 billion liters kharida hai. Iske chalte, distilleryyan full capacity par chal hi nahi pa rahi hain, aur bioenergy sector mein paiso ki dikkat badh sakti hai. Pata hai, global situation aur oil prices badhne se yeh issue aur bhi urgent ho gaya hai, kyuki humein oil imports par dependance kam karni hai. AIDA jaise organisations toh E20 target se bhi aage ke blending targets maang rahe hain.
Ab is surplus ko khapatane ke liye naye tarike dhoonde jaa rahe hain. Jaise, ethanol se chalne wale cooking stoves ka pilot project chal raha hai, jisse gharon mein cleaner fuel milega. Aur diesel mein mix karke backup generators ke liye bhi vichar ho raha hai. Karnataka mein toh diesel buses par ethanol blend try kar rahe hain yeh dekhne ke liye ki yeh work karta hai ya nahi.
Sabse bada solution toh flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) hain, jo petrol aur ethanol dono par chal sakti hain. Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, aur Bajaj Auto jaise bade players ne prototypes bhi bana liye hain. Lekin, yeh cars logo ko mehngi pad rahi hain. Jahaan electric cars (EVs) par sirf 5% GST lagta hai, wahaan FFVs par 18% to 40% tak tax hai. Isliye log khareed nahi rahe, aur ethanol fuel bhi har jagah nahi milta. Sikkim jaise state road tax maaf kar rahe hain, par aur government help chahiye.
Asli challenge toh price control aur tax mein hai. Industry chahti hai ki FFVs par tax kam ho aur domestic ethanol ka price stable rahe, taaki blends affordable ho sakein. Par government set prices kam karne ko taiyar nahi hai. Is wajah se domestic ethanol, bahar se aane wale ethanol se aur regular petrol se bhi mehnga ho jata hai. Brazil jaisi countries mein toh FFVs common hain aur E100 tak chalta hai.
Agar govt ne jaldi policy nahi banayi toh yeh surplus badhta rahega, factories band ho jayengi, aur humara jo energy security ka goal hai woh bhi slow ho jayega. FFVs par high tax aur fueling stations ki kami demand ko aur kam kar rahi hai. Sugarcane jaise crops par depend hone ke karan ethanol ka cost aur supply weather aur farm prices se fluctuate karta hai. Set domestic prices ise industrial uses mein bhi compete karna mushkil bana deti hain.
Industry groups toh E20 target ke aage E25 aur E30 ke liye national plan maang rahe hain. Woh FFVs par EV jaisa buyer incentive chahte hain. Jab tak policy clear nahi hogi aur ethanol affordable nahi hoga, tab tak India ka ethanol sector financial problem mein hi rahega aur energy independence ke mauke bhi kho dega.