Potato Peels Into Bioethanol Fuel: IIT-BHU Innovation

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Indian scientists at IIT-BHU have found a way to turn potato peels into fuel for cars, a new sustainable fuel source that reduces waste.

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Researchers take potato peels that usually go to waste and turn them into ethanol - a clean fuel that can be mixed with petrol to provide energy.

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The procedure involves turning potato peels into a paste and then into a powder, which the microbes then consume to produce ethanol.

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To reduce pollution and fuel costs, India has started mixing ethanol and petrol, increasing from just 1.53% in 2014 to 15% in 2024.

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India grows 56 million tonnes of potatoes each year and about 11 to 14 million tonnes go to waste, therefore, such technology is useful to not let the waste end up in a landfill.

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Such developments help both our environment and our economy as not just a cleaner fuel is being created, but a waste problem is also being solved.

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The development marks an important step in sustainable fuel research as this development garners international attention, especially after their research presentation in IIT Jammu.

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As India works to reduce its dependence on imported fuel, solutions like this demonstrate how waste materials can contribute towards clean energy.

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