Lucknow: The ethanol production in the state has gone up by almost 40% during the 2022-23 financial year.
The excise department, which on Tuesday provided the overall ethanol production figure for the last fiscal year said that a record high 133.29 crore litres of biofuel was produced in the state.
In view of the increased demand for the green fuel, the number of distilleries which are into ethanol production have been steadily increasing in Uttar Pradesh.
At present, 85 distilleries are into ethanol production in the state.
Additional chief secretary of the department Sanjay R Bhoosreddy said, “During the 2016-17 fiscal year the state produced 42.69 crore litre of ethanol. We started focusing on improving the economic condition of the sugar mills in order to facilitate payment of the cane price to sugarcane farmers in a quick manner. With improved ease of doing business in the past four years, 31 new distilleries have been established in the state under cooperative and private sectors.”
The sugar mills in the state have already paid more than 75% of the dues to the cane farmers, said officials.
Country’s largest ethanol producer, the byproduct derived from sugarcane in UP is extensively used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, fossil fuel and in the alcohol industry.
More than 55% of the ethanol is provided and sold to the other states, particularly to the oil marketing companies. The demand for the byproduct soared in the country from the time national policy on biofuels was introduced in 2018.
While 10% of ethanol is being blended with fuel, the demand is slated to increase further with the Union government pushing the E20 fuel programme which will have 20% of ethanol and 80% of petrol being supplied through the gas stations.
