According to India's National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels?
- Cassava
- Damaged wheat grains
- Groundnut seeds
- Horse gram
- Rotten potatoes
- Sugar beet
Correct Answer: Option A
According to the National Policy on Biofuels, bioethanol can be produced from various biomass sources, including:
- Sugar-containing materials: Sugarcane, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, etc.
- Starch-containing materials: Corn, cassava, rotten potatoes, algae, etc.
- Cellulosic materials: Bagasse, wood waste, agricultural and forestry residues, industrial waste, etc.
- Damaged food grains: Wheat, broken rice, etc. (unfit for human consumption).
Other potential raw materials include B-Molasses, grasses, agricultural residues (rice straw, cotton stalk, corn cobs, saw dust, bagasse, etc.), and algal feedstock.
For biodiesel production, non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil (UCO), animal tallow, acid oil, and algal feedstock can be used. Advanced biofuels can be produced from biomass, MSW (Municipal Solid Waste), industrial waste, and plastic waste.
Cassava and rotten potatoes are explicitly mentioned as raw materials for bioethanol production under the National Policy on Biofuels.
Hence, cassava, damaged wheat grains, rotten potatoes, and sugar beet can be used as raw materials.
Sources: