India LPG crisis: Ethanol cooktops pushed as cheaper fuel alternative

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With millions of ordinary Indians suffering from the massive shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)— triggered by the virtual halt in supplies through the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war last month— there is growing demand in the country to consider alternatives, including ethanol cooktops for households and commercial kitchens.

Industry bodies such as the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), and the Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA) have stepped up their push on the Indian government to encourage the use of ethanol cooktops. 

Citing an International Institute for Sustainable Development report, ISMA notes that ethanol cooking and biogas could also save India almost $25 billion in LPG subsidies in a few years.

Ethanol is a practical cooking fuel, which could be used by millions of low-income people across the country. “Ethanol-based cooking is not just about replacing LPG,” says an ISMA report. “The next step is to make the system more resilient, flexible and future-ready.” 

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R.S. Ravi, director (downstream), FIPI, said agencies like the LPG Equipment Research Centre (LERC) and various IITs are developing ethanol-compatible and efficient cooking stoves, with prototypes likely to be ready soon.

He told members of the All-India Distillers Association to connect with manufacturers of these stoves and scale up production to ensure a viable ethanol supply chain to households. He urged the association to give ideas on how to make ethanol a cooking fuel in India.

GEMA too has urged the government to roll out pilot projects to test the practicality of ethanol cooktops for both households and commercial kitchens.

The ongoing LPG crisis has seen several commercial outfits having to wind up operations because of the scarcity of the fuel. 

Experts, however, note that ethanol cooktops can be a substitute for LPG, but they cannot replace it completely. A significant amount of ethanol is currently being used to blend with petrol.

The Indian government plans to soon make E20 fuel (20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol) mandatory for all. It is also discussing with automobile manufacturers to evaluate the feasibility of raising the ethanol content to 25 per cent.