India sets new biofuel target

BIOFUELS must account for at least 20% of Indian diesel and gasoline by 2017, according to a new government target. Given the country's high dependence on energy imports – imports meet 80% of its crude oil requirement – this makes compelling economic sense. However, achieving it will be difficult because of the country's feedstock shortage – the reason why it fell short of the government's previous target, a 5% biofuels mix in transportation fuels by 2007. Although nine states and union territories made efforts to meet the target, its was eventually dropped. To tackle the feedstock deficit, the new policy calls for the plantation of non-edible oilseeds, such as jatropha, on over 11.2m he