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Ethanol Price Hike
The government is considering a proposal to increase ethanol prices for the season starting November 2024, while also pushing for diversification of feedstocks, as it aims to achieve the 20 per cent blending target by 2025-26, sources said. A committee headed by a joint secretary from the petroleum ministry has already held one round of discussions on the proposal. The revision of ethanol prices will be based on the fair and remunerative price of sugarcane, they added. "The price revision is being considered on priority to incentivize production and meet our blending goals," a source said, requesting anonymity. Last week, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah called for a multi-dimensional approach to biofuel manufacturing and affirmed that India would achieve its 20 per cent ethanol blending target by 2025-26, ahead of the original 2030 deadline. Ethanol prices, fixed by the government, have remained unchanged since the 2022-23 season (November-October). Currently, ethanol produced from
India is in talks with Brazil for a technological partnership to expand usage of ethanol, amid a push for alternative fuels to cut carbon emission. Brazil has been using ethanol for a very long time in vehicles and there is a lot to learn from the South American nation, Union Minister V K Singh said on Tuesday. "We can learn from them (Brazil) and collaborate with them to ensure that we also develop an ecosystem for ethanol and such alcohol-based fuels," the Minister of State (MoS) for Road Transport and Highways said at the 'Assocham-Fuels of the Future 2.0' conference in the national capital. He further said that there is a need for awareness on alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels. Beside sugarcane, ethanol can also be produced using broken rice, maize and corn. "There is also a push on sustainable aviation fuel and we have conducted a trial of sustainable aviation fuels powered flight. The greatest challenge before us today is what alternative fuel we adopt and how we can