Taking a step in the direction to achieve 25% ethanol blending by 2025, the Centre has so far approved 196 ethanol production projects having the capacity to produce 859 crore litre ethanol using grains since January 2021, reports The Hindu Businessline.
According to government officials, there is a need for 1,288 crore litres of ethanol to achieve the set target by 2024-25. Of the total projects approved in the last year, 40% of projects are based in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Since January 2021, the Union food ministry has approved 196 projects having the capacity to produce 859.11 crore litres of ethanol. Maharashtra is leading the list with maximum projects (35) having an ethanol production capacity of 107.38 crore litres. Uttar Pradesh ranks second in the list with approval of 29 projects having a capacity of 108.74 crore litres and Chhattisgarh has set up 20 projects having a capacity of 102.3 crore litres, said officials.
Bihar and Odisha have nine projects each having a capacity of 59 crore litres and eight projects having a capacity of 67.19 crore litres have been approved from West Bengal.
Ethanol production plants in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha use rice as raw material and Bihar and Madhya Pradesh use maize as raw material.
