‘Govt on course to achieving 12% ethanol blending target this year’

livemint.com:

NEW DELHI : The Centre is confident of reaching its target of 12% ethanol blending with petrol target by the end of the current ethanol supply year ending October, Union food and public distribution secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Thursday. This comes after the government procuring agency Food Corp of India (FCI) temporarily halted the supply of rice for ethanol production in July. While grains account for 20% of ethanol blending with petrol, sugar has a contribution of 80%.

Highlighting the achievements of the sector, Chopra said, “India’s sugar industry has been on a roller-coaster ride for decades, but recent years have energized the sector. Previously, the industry relied on subsidies. However, efforts such as the ethanol blending program have emerged as a game-changer.

Starting with a 1.5% ethanol blending capacity in 2013-14 to a blending percentage of about 12% which we are likely to achieve this ethanol supply year." “In spite of the bounces in between we are confident to meet the 12% ethanol blending capacity by the end of the current ethanol supply year," the food secretary said. Ethanol blending with petrol (EBP) had reached 11.76% as of 31 August as against the target of 12% for the entire 2022-23 (December-October) ethanol supply year (ESY). Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) President Aditya Jhunjhunwala on Wednesday said sugar mills had contracted to supply about 4.5 billion litres of ethanol in the ongoing ESY.