<p>In a bid to step up ethanol production, the Centre on Wednesday modified a scheme to enhance distillation capacity for producing first-generation ethanol from feedstock such as cereals – rice, wheat, barley, corn & sorghum, sugarcane and sugar beet.</p>.<p>The Union Cabinet approved an interest subvention of Rs 4,573 crore for new distilleries producing ethanol, which can be used for blending with petrol, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.</p>.<p>Pradhan said that India will need about 1,000 crore litre of ethanol for doping in petrol by 2030 with a view to cut dependency on imports for meeting oil needs. "The nation currently has a capacity of 684 crore litres," he added.</p>.<p>Government has fixed target of 10% blending of fuel-grade ethanol with petrol by 2022 and 20% blending by 2030.</p>.<p>To increase the production of fuel-grade ethanol, the government will also encourage distilleries to produce ethanol from maize and rice available with FCI. Government has fixed remunerative price of ethanol from these produces.</p>.<p>The move is also being seen as a helping hand for the sugar sector and farmers who have been reeling under the pressure of handling excess produce.</p>.<p>There has been surplus production of sugar in the country since 2010-11, except in sugar season 2016-17 due to drought.</p>.<p>The production is likely to remain in surplus in the country in coming years due to the introduction of improved varieties of sugarcane.</p>.<p>In a bid to tackle excess production of sugarcane, the Centre has approved the diversion of excess sugarcane and sugar to ethanol.</p>
<p>In a bid to step up ethanol production, the Centre on Wednesday modified a scheme to enhance distillation capacity for producing first-generation ethanol from feedstock such as cereals – rice, wheat, barley, corn & sorghum, sugarcane and sugar beet.</p>.<p>The Union Cabinet approved an interest subvention of Rs 4,573 crore for new distilleries producing ethanol, which can be used for blending with petrol, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.</p>.<p>Pradhan said that India will need about 1,000 crore litre of ethanol for doping in petrol by 2030 with a view to cut dependency on imports for meeting oil needs. "The nation currently has a capacity of 684 crore litres," he added.</p>.<p>Government has fixed target of 10% blending of fuel-grade ethanol with petrol by 2022 and 20% blending by 2030.</p>.<p>To increase the production of fuel-grade ethanol, the government will also encourage distilleries to produce ethanol from maize and rice available with FCI. Government has fixed remunerative price of ethanol from these produces.</p>.<p>The move is also being seen as a helping hand for the sugar sector and farmers who have been reeling under the pressure of handling excess produce.</p>.<p>There has been surplus production of sugar in the country since 2010-11, except in sugar season 2016-17 due to drought.</p>.<p>The production is likely to remain in surplus in the country in coming years due to the introduction of improved varieties of sugarcane.</p>.<p>In a bid to tackle excess production of sugarcane, the Centre has approved the diversion of excess sugarcane and sugar to ethanol.</p>
