Govt. allows use of cane juice, B molasses to make ethanol
- In a U turn, the Centre reversed its decision to ban the use of sugarcane juice for making ethanol as it allowed utilisation of the juice as well as B-heavy molasses to produce the green fuel but capped the diversion of sugar at 17 lakh tonnes.
Ethanol:
- Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a biofuel produced from various sources such as sugarcane, corn, rice, wheat, and biomass.
- The production process involves the fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes such as ethylene hydration.
- Ethanol is 99.9% pure alcohol that can be blended with petrol to create a cleaner fuel alternative.
- Apart from being a fuel additive, ethanol production yields valuable byproducts like Distillers’ Dried Grain with Solubles, and Potash from Incineration Boiler Ash that find applications across various industries.
Ethanol production in India:
- Ethanol production in India was mainly based on ‘C-heavy’ molasses, with a sugar content of 40-45%, yielding 220–225 liters of ethanol per tonne.
- India explored direct sugarcane juice for ethanol production, increasing yield and efficiency.
- The country diversified its feedstocks by including rice, damaged grains, maize, jowar, bajra, and millets.
- Ethanol yields from grains are higher compared to molasses, with rice producing 450-480 liters and other grains 380-460 liters per tonne.
- Sugar mills diversified to use rice, damaged grains, maize, and millet as feedstocks.
- Leading sugar companies installed distilleries that can operate on multiple feedstocks throughout the year.
Types of Molasses:
- A Molasses (First Molasses): An intermediate by-product from initial sugar crystal extraction, containing 80-85% dry matter (DM). Should be inverted to prevent crystallization if stored.
- B Molasses (Second Molasses): Similar DM content as A molasses but with less sugar and no spontaneous crystallization.
- C Molasses (Final Molasses, Blackstrap Molasses, Treacle): The end by-product of sugar processing, containing significant amounts of sucrose (about 32 to 42%). It does not crystallize and is used as a commercial feed ingredient in liquid or dried form.
Government Initiatives to Promote Ethanol Blending in India:
- National Policy on Biofuels 2018
- E100 Pilot project
- Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana 2019
- Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO)
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