Ethanol 2002: International Conference on Policy, Financing &
Market Development Issues
Lower CO2, employment to farmers and less dependence on import of oils are some of the benefits of Ethanol use in vehicles, according to M Kannappan, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Non Conventional Energy Sources. Kannappan, inaugurated the conference on Ethanol 2002: International Conference on Policy, Financing & Market Development Issues in New Delhi. The Minister emphasized that Brazil has been using ethanol as motor fuels for many decades and has urged India to follow the Brazilian route to ethanol production. Continued dependence on oil has many adverse implications such as fuel price fluctuations and its impact country's economy, energy security and CO2 emissions.
The conference was organised by Winrock International India (WII) in association with W Alton Jones foundation, Winrock International, IREDA, Indian Sugar Mills Association and Lubrizol.
Annasaheb M K Patil, Minister of State for Rural Development, speaking at the conference said that India has taken a favourable policy for introducing 5% ethanol in the transport sector. He also said that in addition to this the Government is also continuing with pilot studies to look at the possibility of a 10% blend.
V Bhaktavatsalam, Managing Director, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) spoke of IREDA's initiatives in the fuel ethanol sector. He also highlighted the huge income generation and employment opportunities emerging as a result of the governments policy. At the conclusion of the inaugural session Renuka Sugars was presented with the loan sanction letter from IREDA that marked the first financial closure of a fuel ethanol project.
The speakers at the conference included Prodipto Ghosh, PMO, Ashok K Goyal, Indian Sugar Mills Association, N P Singh, MNES, N R Raje, IOC, R P Sharma, SIAM Fuel Sub Committee and Mahindra & Mahindra, B Bhanot, ARAI, R K Malhotra, IOC, Arun Kumar Mishra, Secretary, Sugar, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Jai Uppal, AIDA, R Guruprasad, TERI, Shanker Lal, IREDA, Girish Mahajan, ICICI, J Prasad, Alfa Laval Industries, Abhay Choudhari, Praj Industries Ltd. and Saroj Mishra, Winrock International India.
The foreign delegates who spoke at the conference were Vera Barrouin Machado, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Jeffery Clarke, Sr Policy Analyst, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA, Jose Roberto Moreria, President, CENBIO, Brazil, Jaime Finguerut, Chief, Alcohol Technology Section, COPERSUCAR, Brazil.
To see pictures of the conference, Click Here
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