Pune, Maharashtra: Government wants sugar mills to focus more on ethanol production and it seems Maharastra is following the same.
According to the news report published in Indianexpress.com, as many as 41 sugar mills in the state have started production of ethanol from B heavy molasses and 9 are producing ethanol from sugar syrup. Six mills are following the Brazilian pattern by producing ethanol directly from sugarcane juice.
The Indian government aims to boost ethanol production, therefore it is taking various steps for the same. To strengthen the financial condition of sugar mills and cut oil imports, the government had asked mills to focus on ethanol production. Earlier, Centre had urged the mills for diversion of excess sugarcane and sugar for the production of Ethanol as a long term solution for addressing the problem of excess sugar stock.
The government had recently announced the hike in ethanol prices for supply to oil marketing companies. The government had raised the price of ethanol extracted from sugarcane juice to Rs 62.65 per litre from the current Rs 59.48 per litre. The rate for ethanol from C-heavy molasses has been increased from Rs 43.75 per litre to Rs 45.69 per litre and that of ethanol from B-heavy molasses to Rs 57.61 per litre from Rs 54.27 per litre.
