Shimla: CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute), Shimla has planned to develop new varieties of potatoes for producing bioethanol from them. This has been decided after a suggestion in this regard from Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. Scientists at the CPRI have already successfully experimented with producing ethanol from potatoes. The use of ethanol as a fuel is likely to reduce environmental pollution and lessen the country’s dependence on foreign sources of energy, reports Amar Ujala.
Currently, most of the ethanol in India is produced from sugarcane, which is primarily cultivated for sugar production. However, given the rising demand for ethanol, CPRI has been conducting tests to produce ethanol from potatoes. Dr Dinesh Kumar, Head of the Crop Physiology, Biochemistry, and Post-Harvest Technology Department at CPRI, along with his colleague Dr Dharmendra Kumar, has identified potato varieties capable of producing bioethanol. Now, the institute will work on developing new potato varieties specifically for this purpose. Until these new varieties are developed, ethanol will be made from damaged or surplus potatoes.
Approximately 15% of the total potato production in India is lost due to various factors. Potatoes that are damaged by disease, cut during harvesting, or left unsold due to low market demand can be used to produce ethanol. The country has set a target of achieving a 30% ethanol blend in fuel by 2030, with an interim target of 20% by 2025. Besides sugarcane, India has also been producing ethanol from grains.
That is good source of rawmaterial for ethanol production,like wheet root,sweet potatoes,etc