Govt nods sugar mills to manufacture ethanol directly from sugarcane juice

New Delhi, July 28: The government has decided to allow sugar mills to manufacture ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or an intermediate product called B-molasses.

 

The sugarcane control order of 1966 has been amended in this regard as notified by the Union Food Ministry. The move would help mills divert cane juice for ethanol manufacturing during surplus years.

So far, mills were allowed to manufacture ethanol from by-product called C-molasses, after sugar was taken out while processing raw cane juice.

The notification reads, “When a sugar factory produces ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or B-molasses, the recovery rate in case of such factory shall be determined by considering every 600 litres so produced as equivalent to one tonne of production of sugar."

Molasses is also used for manufacturing spirit and alcohol among other products.

So far, mills were allowed to manufacture ethanol from by-product called C-molasses, after sugar was taken out while processing raw cane juice.

Molasses is also used for manufacturing spirit and alcohol among other products.

Last month, the government for the first time also fixed the price of ethanol produced from intermediary or B-molasses at Rs 47.49 per litre for the marketing year starting December 2018.

The price of ethanol produced from C-molasses has been raised by Rs 3 per litre to Rs 43.70 per litre.