Short Article
04-10-2024 | 12:24 PM
India is the World’s 3rd Largest Producer and Consumer of Ethanol
Recently, the Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution during the India Sugar & Bio Energy Conference said that India is now the world’s third-largest producer and consumer of ethanol.
Key Highlights
- In the last decade, sugarcane cultivation increased by about 18% while sugarcane production has increased by 40%.
- India is the second largest producer of sugarcane next to Brazil.
- The use of ethanol-blended petrol has reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).
Steps taken by the government to increase ethanol production.
- The Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar was introduced in 2018 to protect the interests of farmers.
- Establishments of Bio-Refineries Plants: India is setting up multiple second-generation ethanol biorefineries to produce ethanol from agricultural waste.
- In 2022, IOCL launched Asia’s first 2G Ethanol Biorefinery plant in Panipat, Haryana.
- Tax reduction: The government has reduced the GST rate to 5% from 18% on ethanol meant for blending under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.
About Ethanol
- Ethanol is a biofuel produced from various sources such as corn, rice, wheat, sugarcane, and biomass.
- It is also known as ethyl alcohol.
- Production Process:
- Fermentation of sugars by yeasts
- Petrochemical processes such as ethylene hydration.
