Government Mulls Advancing 20% Ethanol Blending Target

(The Hindu Business Line) May also tap rice lying with FCI and maize from surplus States -- The Centre, which is trying to create an additional 468-crore litre ethanol capacities through loans for setting up distilleries, may advance the deadline for blending 20 per cent biofuel in petrol from the earlier announced 2030.

“The government had earlier fixed a target of 10 per cent ethanol blending by 2022 and 20 per cent by 2030 but now the government is preparing a plan to prepone achievement of 20 per cent target,” an official release said on Friday.

Apart from sugarcane, the government also plans to use surplus rice lying with Food Corporation of India and maize in States where maize production is in surplus for producing ethanol from coming ethanol supply year (November to December).

The government has earlier in principle approved loans worth ₹12,500-crore for setting up distilleries for producing 468-crore litres per annum. READ MORE