India achieves highest-ever ethanol blend of 8.1% with petrol in 2020-21

But sugar firms say proposed investments in ethanol blending programme could suffer as OMCs have been creating hurdles lately, preferring maize over sugarcane and rice as feedstock

India has achieved the highest ever ethanol blending of 8.1 per cent with petrol in the just concluded 2020-21 (December-November) supply year, the government claimed today.

However, sugar companies said that going forward proposed investments in the ethanol blending programme could suffer as Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have been creating artificial hurdles of late, preferring maize over sugarcane and rice as feedstock and giving priority to new producers over established ethanol manufacturers.

“In the ethanol supply year of 2020-21 (Dec-Nov), 3.03 billion litres of ethanol has been supplied by the distilleries to the OMCs, which is historically the highest. The