Govt to introduce ethanol in agriculture, construction equipment
Equipment

Govt to introduce ethanol in agriculture, construction equipment

On Saturday, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the need to switch to alternative fuels like ethanol and said efforts are on to introduce ethanol in agriculture and construction equipment.

The Union Minister told the media that the country imports petroleum products worth Rs 10 lakh crore to fulfil the requirements in the energy and power sector, and in the following five years, the demand may increase up to Rs 25 lakh crore, which will impact the economy.

At the state-level Sugar Conference 2022 organised by Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune, Gadkari said alternative fuel is the future. After electric scooters, cars, and buses, soon electric tractors and trucks will be there.

Gadkari said diesel-based agriculture equipment should be made petrol-based, and flex engines can be transformed to run on ethanol. Efforts are also being made to introduce ethanol in construction equipment also.

Stressing the need to shift from sugar production to ethanol, the minister said the increase in sugar demand across the world is temporary. When the price of crude oil increases to $140 per barrel, Brazil creates ethanol from sugarcane, raising the demand for sugar from India. When the cost of crude oil drops from $70 to $80 per barrel, Brazil starts creating sugar. When crude oil becomes cheaper, sugar costs will also come down drastically.

Gadkari also asked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to install ethanol pumps in Pune to support farmers selling the fuel directly. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who addressed the conference virtually, said sugar producers in the state were encountering several problems. Sugarcane workers are essential, and the Gopinath Ustod Kamgar Mahamandal has been formed to assist in resolving problems faced by them.

The chief minister said cultivators must think about adopting micro-irrigation for the sugarcane crop, as water is a valuable resource, and rainfall is inconsistent.

Image Source

Also read: BSIV emission norms for construction and agricultural equipment

On Saturday, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the need to switch to alternative fuels like ethanol and said efforts are on to introduce ethanol in agriculture and construction equipment. The Union Minister told the media that the country imports petroleum products worth Rs 10 lakh crore to fulfil the requirements in the energy and power sector, and in the following five years, the demand may increase up to Rs 25 lakh crore, which will impact the economy. At the state-level Sugar Conference 2022 organised by Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune, Gadkari said alternative fuel is the future. After electric scooters, cars, and buses, soon electric tractors and trucks will be there. Gadkari said diesel-based agriculture equipment should be made petrol-based, and flex engines can be transformed to run on ethanol. Efforts are also being made to introduce ethanol in construction equipment also. Stressing the need to shift from sugar production to ethanol, the minister said the increase in sugar demand across the world is temporary. When the price of crude oil increases to $140 per barrel, Brazil creates ethanol from sugarcane, raising the demand for sugar from India. When the cost of crude oil drops from $70 to $80 per barrel, Brazil starts creating sugar. When crude oil becomes cheaper, sugar costs will also come down drastically. Gadkari also asked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to install ethanol pumps in Pune to support farmers selling the fuel directly. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who addressed the conference virtually, said sugar producers in the state were encountering several problems. Sugarcane workers are essential, and the Gopinath Ustod Kamgar Mahamandal has been formed to assist in resolving problems faced by them. The chief minister said cultivators must think about adopting micro-irrigation for the sugarcane crop, as water is a valuable resource, and rainfall is inconsistent. Image Source Also read: BSIV emission norms for construction and agricultural equipment

Next Story
Building Material

Ambuja Cements Drags JSW Cement to Court Over ‘Kawach’ Brand

Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, has filed a trademark infringement case against JSW Cement in the Delhi High Court, alleging that its rival copied the ‘Kawach’ brand with its new product ‘Jal Kavach’.Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora issued summons to JSW Cement and its subsidiary, JSW IP Holdings Pvt Ltd, while referring the matter to mediation. Hearings are scheduled to resume on October 15 if no settlement is reached.Ambuja, which registered the ‘Kawach’ trademark in 2019, argues that the term ‘Kavach’—meaning shield—is the distinctive feature of its branding. ..

Next Story
Technology

Bentley Systems Named Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 by Afcons

Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, has been recognised by Afcons Infrastructure Limited as its Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 at the Innovation Partners 2025 Felicitation Ceremony in Mumbai. The award acknowledges Bentley’s contribution to Afcons’ engineering digitalisation journey through an enterprise agreement providing access to over 250 Bentley engineering software tools. This adoption has enabled Afcons to accelerate project delivery, standardise digital workflows, and strengthen innovation across its infrastructure portfolio. Among key i..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

SBI Sells 13.18% Stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s SMBC

State Bank of India (SBI) has completed the sale of a 13.18 per cent stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for over Rs 8,889 crore. The divestment is part of a Rs 13,482 crore deal finalised in May with SMBC and seven private banks.Following the transaction, SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank stands at 10.8 per cent. The deal, involving 4,134.4 million shares at Rs 21.50 each, is the largest cross-border transaction in the Indian banking sector.SBI Chairman C S Setty described the 2020 RBI-led rescue of Yes Bank as a pioneering public-private partnership, addi..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?