In August, ethanol blending in petrol reached 15.8 per cent, and cumulative ethanol blending during November 2023 to August 2024 touched 13.6 per cent.
As of September 1, 2024, 16,059 PSU outlets out of 82,617 total PSU Retail Outlets are dispensing E20 Ethanol Blended MS.
According to available official data, ethanol received by PSU OMCs under the EBP program in August 2024 was 65.3 crore liters, and 526.6 crore liters from November 2023 to August 2024. Ethanol blended under the EBP program in August 2024 was 66.0 crore liters, and 545.0 crore liters from November 2023 to August 2024.
The government has set a target of achieving 20 per cent ethanol blending with petrol.
According to the Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD), India’s ethanol production capacity has risen from 518 crore liters in 2017-18 to an impressive 1,623 crore liters in 2023-24 (As on 31st August 2024), demonstrating the government’s commitment to fostering a greener future.
Recently, the government has allowed sugar mills and distilleries to produce ethanol from sugarcane juice, B-Heavy Molasses, and C-Heavy Molasses during the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2024-25. Additionally, the government has lifted a previous ban and permitted the sale of up to 23 lakh tonnes of rice from Food Corporation of India (FCI) stocks to grain-based ethanol distilleries. This is expected to significantly enhance ethanol production.
