Ethanol blending policy

Ethanol blending policy

Subject: Environment

Section: Agri and SD

In the news:

• While ethanol blended petrol (EBP) increased from 1.6% in 2013-14 to 11.8% in 2022-23, the 20% target by 2025 has run into trouble with low sugar stocks in 2022-23 and impending shortfall in sugarcane production this year.
• NAFED and National Cooperatives Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) have authorised to procure maize (corn) for supplying ethanol distilleries.

Ethanol from maize (corn):

• Only 5-7% of the world’s corn output was used for ethanol production and the U.S. has a corn based ethanol programme.
• Challenge: Using corn for producing ethanol directly reduces its use as food or livestock feed. It directly links food prices to cruid oil prices through the demand side.
  • High corn prices also increases the price of other soft grains like wheat/barley.

Ethanol from sugarcane:

• Sugarcane based ethanol production is preferred in tropical countries like Brazil and India.
  • Challenge: More land under water-intensive sugarcane production can displace food production and also degrade water table.
• In case of sugarcane, ethanol is produced by processing the molasses (C-heavy/B-heavy) and constitutes minimal trade-off with sugar output.
• The B-heavy molasses path produces less sugar and ethanol simultaneously from sugarcane.
• Ethanol can also be produced from cane juicewithout the extraction of sugar, but it may lead to conflict between sugar production and ethenol production. This process gives substantially higher yield of ethanol.

Sugarcane molasses:

• It is a viscous, dark and sugar-rich by-product of sugar extraction from the sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). It is a major feed ingredient, used as an energy source and as a binder in compound feeds.
• Both the sugar extraction process and the sugar refining process yield molasses, and each step of these processes output specific types of molasses:
  • Integral high-test molasses is produced from unclarified sugarcane juice. Because it is concentrated from unclarified sugarcane juice, heavy incrustations and scum deposits lead to frequent mill interruptions and, therefore, to increased factory maintenance costs.
  • A molasses (first molasses) is an intermediate by-product resulting from first sugar crystal extraction (A sugar), from initial processing at the sugar factory. A molasses contains 80-85% DM. If it has to be stored, it should be inverted in order to prevent crystallization.
  • B molasses (second molasses): It has approximately the same DM content as A molasses but contains less sugar and does not spontaneously crystallize.
  • C molasses (final molasses, blackstrap molasses, treacle) is the end by-product of the processing in the sugar factory. It still contains considerable amounts of sucrose (approximately 32 to 42%). C molasses does not crystallize and can be found in liquid or dried form as a commercial feed ingredient.
  • Syrup-off (liquor-off, jett) is the end by-product from the centrifugation of the final refined masecuite in a raw sugar refinery. Normally, syrup-off is sent to the raw sugar section of the refinery where it is further processed in order to recover more sucrose. Due to its high content of sucrose (90-92% DM), it is an excellent energy source for monogastrics but can be an expensive ingredient.
  • Refinery final molasses is the by-product of refined sugar extraction. It has a very similar composition to that of C molasses produced in a raw sugar factory and it is stored in the same tanks.
  • In some countries the juice is extracted in a simple animal or mechanically driven press, then boiled in open vats. In this rudimentary process, pan (uncrystallized) sugar is produced and the by-product molasses is called “melote”. It contains only 50% DM.