Union Food Ministry has notified a decision to allow sugar mills to manufacture ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or an intermediate product called B-molasses. In this regard, Sugarcane Control Order, 1966 has been amended.
The move would help mills divert cane juice for ethanol manufacturing during surplus years.
a. B-molasses
b. Liquid Oxygen
c. Liquid Nitrogen
d. None of the above
Interesting to know:
- In case of production of ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or B-molasses, the recovery rate of sugarcane factory will be determined by considering every 600 liters so produced as equivalent to one tonne of production of sugar.
- Earlier, sugar mills were allowed to manufacture ethanol from by-product called C-molasses, after sugar was taken out while processing raw sugarcane juice.
- Molasses is also used for manufacturing spirit and alcohol among other products.
How the situation is likely to shape up now?
- Sugar mills are incurring losses as prices of sugar have fallen below production cost on account of record output of 32 million tonnes (mt) in 2017-18 season as against the annual domestic demand of 25 mt.
- The production of ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or B-molasses will help to divert this overproduction.
- Sugar mills are a expecting revenue realisation of over Rs 5,000 crore from the sale of ethanol to OMCs during the 2017-18 sugar season (October-September).
- OMCs procure ethanol from sugar mills for blending with petrol.
- It has mandated blending of up to 10% ethanol in petrol but inadequate availability has restricted this to under 4%.
- Higher price for ethanol will incentivise higher ethanol production.
Question:
Q. Union Food Ministry has notified a decision to allow sugar mills to manufacture ethanol directly from which intermediate product?a. B-molasses
b. Liquid Oxygen
c. Liquid Nitrogen
d. None of the above
