According to the figures released by the UP Government on Saturday, the state has manufactured 58 crore litres of ethanol, a solvent that is essentially mixed with petrol for environmental purposes, in the year 2020-21.
In a major relief to the farmers, an additional payment of Rs 864 crore was sent to the accounts of sugarcane farmers from the sale of ethanol.
By mixing ethanol in petrol, the UP government was able to contribute to saving a total of $75.58 million of India’s forex reserve, giving a big boost to the economy in these testing times.
It is worth mentioning that the distilleries of sugar mills and other units had produced a record 1.77 crore litres of sanitizer which was not only supplied within the state but also exported to other states.
Ethanol is a type of alcohol that is mixed with petrol and is used as fuel in vehicles. According to environmental experts, ethanol mixed with petrol may reduce carbon monoxide pollution by 35 percent.
At present, the central government has targeted to add 20 percent ethanol to petrol by 2030. Last year, the government had targeted 10 percent ethanol blending in petrol by 2022.
UNI MB SHK2030
