Ethanol Blending Program: Grains to Compensate for Decline in Sugar-Based Production

09-Apr-2025 12:23 PM

Ethanol Blending Program: Grains to Compensate for Decline in Sugar-Based Production
★ During the 2024–25 ethanol supply year, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have been allocated around 9.96 billion liters of ethanol. Of this, approximately 66% is expected to come from grain-based sources, while the remaining will come from sugar-based sources.
★ As of March 9, 2025, sugar mills and grain-based units have supplied nearly equal volumes of ethanol—1.51 billion liters each—amounting to a total of 3.02 billion liters. This has helped achieve a blending level of 18.08%.
★ In recent years, the use of grain for ethanol production has increased significantly. In December 2023, the Indian government even prohibited ethanol production from sugarcane juice.
★ In 2022–23, 73% of ethanol supply came from sugarcane. This dropped to 42% in 2023–24, with grains contributing 58%. This trend is expected to strengthen further in 2024–25.
★ Ethanol yields per ton are approximately 450 liters from rice, 380 liters from maize, and slightly less from other grains—higher compared to sugarcane-based production.