India, Denmark agree to initiate joint research on green fuels

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Last Updated21/01/2022

The Joint Science and Technology Committee meeting held last week discussed national strategic priorities and developments in Science, Technology, and Innovation of both countries.
The meeting, held virtually, put a special focus on green solutions for the future -- strategy for investments in green research, technology, and innovation, the ministry said in a statement.
They agreed to organise 3-4 webinars for partnership development and stressed on promoting call for proposals in green fuels, including green hydrogen.
The Joint Committee also reviewed the progress of the ongoing projects of last two joint calls being implemented in the areas of energy research; water; cyber-physical systems, and bioresources & secondary agriculture.

Also known as biofuel, it is a type of fuel distilled from plants and animal materials, believed by some to be more environmentally friendly than the widely-used fossil fuels that power most of the world.
The term “green” describes any type of fuel derived from biomass.
This incorporates all kinds of organic matter, including plant and animal waste.
As the feedstocks used to make green fuel are sustainable and naturally replenished, they’re considered renewable and eco-friendly.
Unlike conventional fuels such as oil, which is naturally occurring but requires an extremely long geological process to form, biofuel can be produced in a matter of days.
A huge variety of feedstocks can be used to create biofuel, ranging from vegetable oil and crop residue to algae and by-products from beer breweries.
The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel, both of which represent the first generation of biofuel technology.

Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is a renewable fuel that can be made from various plant materials, collectively known as “biomass.”
Ethanol is an alcohol used as a blending agent with gasoline to increase octane and cut down carbon monoxide and other smog-causing emissions.
The most common blend of ethanol is E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline).
Some vehicles, called flexible fuel vehicles, are designed to run on E85 (a gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51%–83% ethanol, depending on geography and season), an alternative fuel with much higher ethanol content than regular gasoline.
Most ethanol is made from plant starches and sugars.
However scientists are continuing to develop technologies that would allow for the use of cellulose and hemicellulose, the non-edible fibrous material that constitutes the bulk of plant matter.

Biodiesel is a liquid fuel produced from renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats and is a cleaner-burning replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuel.
Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable and is produced by combining alcohol with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled cooking grease.
Like petroleum-derived diesel, biodiesel is used to fuel compression-ignition (diesel) engines.
Biodiesel can be blended with petroleum diesel in any percentage, including B100 (pure biodiesel) and, the most common blend, B20 (a blend containing 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel).