Bio Fuels – Karnataka Initiatives and opportunities

1. Bio Fuels – Karnataka Initiatives and opportunities Ramakrishna Y B Chairman Task force on Bio fuels Government Secretariat 6, 1st floor, M S Buildings Vidhana veedhi, Bangalore 560 001 Karnataka

2. The Task force High power committee set up in Sep 2008 Principal Secretaries of Forest, Energy, Transport, Agriculture, RDPR, Watershed commissioner and PCCF as convener. Well balanced civilian team. Prof’s from IISC, Agri Universities, NGO’s and Industry with at least 8-10 years Bio fuel work to their credit. Aim – To help state adopt a bio fuel Policy and come up with a robust and sustainable program and create a enabling atmosphere across the state

3. The Bio Fuel policy The Policy initiative was taken up as early as in 2002 in Karnataka. 600 individuals and institutions across the country involved The draft policy document submitted to Govt. of India and Planning commission. An elaborate consultative and inclusive exercise involving farmers, panchayats, NGO’s and various stake holders between 2002-2008 State adopts policy in Mar 2009. The Task force is now being converted into Karnataka bio fuel development with Chief Minister as the chairman of the governing council.

4. The Bio Fuel Policy Highlights Multiple feed stock – TBO’s such as Pongamia, Neem, Mahua, Simarouba, Jatropha, Callophyulum Innophylum, Vetteria Indica and others Ethanol from excess Sugar Molasses No diversion of agricultural land for plantation nor use of food grains as bio fuels Plantation on degraded forest , revenue, institutional land by involving communities organised as VFC’s, tank user groups, SHG’s and NGO’s Promote bund, fence planting on farmers land.

5. The Bio Fuel Policy Highlights Promote short gestation crops such as castor, Hemp as second/ inter crop by farmers . Establish a sustainable and robust seed collection network on co-operative principle Promote and develop technologies for decentralised value addition and usage Initiate research to develop package of practices, pest and disease management, increase productivity Initiate research on second generation bio fuels such as sweet sorghum, algae, MSW etc

6. Bio Ethanol • Karnataka has 54 sugar factories. 3rd largest sugar producer in the country • Six sugar factories have Ethanol production capacity of 135 million litres /annum • We only need 35 million litres for 5% blending • Several experiments on Sweet Sorghum, Beet sugar and cashew apple as feed stock • Several research initiated on ligno cellulosic Ethanol from agri. Wastes as well as forest litter.

7. The Bio Fuel initiatives in 2009/2010Baradu Bangara (Waste to Gold) Plantation in 6000 Ha.(24 lakh samplings) of degraded forest land completed . 25,000 hectares of degraded land identified and plantation in progress in 2010. 15 million seedling being raised across the state. 100,000 hectares of degraded forest and other government land (60million seedlings) will be brought under cultivation of bio fuels by 2012. All plantation activities will be undertaken with total involvement of Village forest committees, Tank user groups and watershed committees with usufruct rights defined.

8. The Bio Fuel initiatives in 2009/2010Hasiru Honnu (Green Gold) 300,000 Pongamia seedlings planted on bunds of farmers land under MGNREGA. 3200 beneficiaries in 78 villages were paid 75 lakh rupees for planting bio fuel species in 2009 Hasiru Honnu is being extended to entire state from 2010 onwards. 15 million seedlings raised across the state for 2010 plantation. 30 lakh grafts of pongamia being raised The demand survey across the state indicates we may end up planting nearly 30 – 40 million bio fuel seedlings along the bunds and hedges of farmers land in 2010.

9. Other initiatives Bio Fuel Park in Hassan district – As model for the State/country. 350 farmers co-operative functional covering 2000 villages. 100 villages declared total Bio Fuel villages Low cost oil extraction and esterification units developed and field tested. Eight Information/Demonstration centres operationalised in the state. Several Institutions initiated into bio fuel research and development of technologies Bio Fuel Technology park at Gulbarga University and Bijapur women’s university set up

10. Other initiatives KSRTC experiments in usage of Ethanol and Bio diesel. Use of Enerdiesel in 2200 buses is a unique experiment in the world Mother tree identification on massive scale and clonal orchards developed by forest research wing and agricultural universities Workshops on Research opportunities and Business opportunities organised for educational institutions and potential entrepreneurs

11. Seed collection network • SHG’s and farmers can sell seeds to 746 Raita samparka Kendras (RSK) one located at each hobli (block) at minimum support price. RSK to function as information center. • The seeds from RSK will be transferred to 30 demo centres in each district located in every district. • These centres will have the facility to extract oil and produce bio diesel. • The oil or the excess seed will be sold/auctioned to private bio diesel producers. • The cake will be sold back to farmers through the RSK network • Rupees 10 crores set aside by state for implementing this.

12. Initiatives on forward linkages 350 farmers co-operative formed in Hassan district for seed collection. They collected over 130 tonnes of seeds in 2010 Farmers in Doddaballpur collected 270 tonnes of seeds in 2010 1000 Farmers from Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajanagar districts are setting up 1 tonne per day bio diesel plant. Bharat Petroleum to set up country’s first Green fuel outlet near bio fuel park Hassan Indian railways to set up 20 tonne per day plant at Bangalore Two more plants of 2 and 5 tonne per day is under construction

13. The Bio Fuel initiatives in 2009/2010Awarenessand Capacity building exercises Series of workshops organised for forest guards, foresters, and other officials of forest/agriculture/ watershed departments. Series of workshops organised for 450 NGO’s, VFC’s, SHG’s and VP members. 900 individuals trained in grafting techniques in 2009-10. 3000 more being trained in 2010. Identification of resource persons at district level and trainers trainings organised.

14. Road map 8 more information and demo center to be set up by February 2011 and 14 more in all other district by end 2011 Setting up of 10 clonal orchards in the state Operationalising GPS enabled plantation monitoring system. Setting up of decentralised power generation centres. Setting up and operationalising the seed collection network Setting up of District level Bio fuel committees for planning, implementing and monitoring various bio fuel activities

15. Thank You

16. The Bio Fuel targets for 2010 25000 Ha. Of degraded forest land to be brought under bio fuel plantation under “Baradu Bangara”. “Hasiru Honnu” to be extended to all 29 districts of Karnataka. 1.5 crore saplings along the bunds on farmers land to be planted. Constitute district level bio fuel implementation and monitoring teams. Massive public awareness program to be launched Extra emphasis on capacity building exercises.