TV Brics | India's proposal for a biofuel alliance interests Brazil

Feb 09,2023

A day earlier, India had proposed the creation of an international biofuel alliance to promote the production and use of cleaner fuels. Such an initiative has attracted interest from a number of countries, including Russia and Brazil. It was announced by India's Oil and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, as reported by Reuters.

In October last year, the politician said India is the world's third-largest oil consumer, and would use its G20 presidency to try to create an international alliance on biofuels.

The focus on biofuels should also help India shift to alternative fuels and reduce import costs as the country seeks to achieve a zero-carbon emission target by 2070.

Puri said the proposed alliance on biofuels is not limited to manufacturers only, any country can join it.

The Auto Expo 2023 was held in India in January. As part of the bilateral cooperation between Brazil and India to promote ethanol and its blends in the automotive sector, the Brazilian Sugarcane Association (Unica) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) launched a virtual centre of excellence (CoE).

The centre of excellence, said Rajesh Menon, CEO of SIAM, has laid the groundwork for the two organisations to support and complement government efforts in promoting bioenergy, biofuels for low-carbon mobility in India and Brazil.

Brazil is the world's second largest ethanol producer and is home to the world's largest fleet of vehicles using ethanol as fuel.