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Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal has expressed confidence that the country will achieve the target of 20 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol by 2025 and asserted that maize crop will play an important role in implementation of this programme. He said ethanol is a sunrise sector and asked the industry to set up factories for manufacturing of this green fuel which can operate on dual feed stock (sugarcane and food grains).

The minister highlighted that the blending of ethanol with petrol has increased to 10 per cent in 2021-22 marketing year from just 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 on the back of efforts made by farmers and industry, aided by favourable government policies. He said the supply of ethanol to oil marketing companies (OMCs) increased to 408 crore litre in 2021-22 from 38 crore litre in 2013-14. He termed the target of 20 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol as ‘ambitious and bold’ but said this can be achieved if all stakeholders work towards it sincerely.

The minister stressed on the need to boost ethanol production to meet this target and said the focus should be now on making ethanol from maize crop, since there is limitation to increase supply from sugarcane crop. He noted that to achieve the target of 20 per cent by 2025, about 1,016 crore litres of ethanol would be required. About 334 crore ethanol would be required for other usage. Therefore, there is a need to create a capacity of 1,700 crore litres, considering plant operates at 80 per cent efficiency. He added the ethanol production has significantly helped sugar industry as well as sugarcane farmers and the same can be replicated in maize.