Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme (EBP Programme )

Ethanol is an agro-based product, mainly produced from a by-product of the sugar industry, namely molasses. In years of surplus production of sugarcane, when prices are depressed, the sugar industry is unable to make timely payment of cane price to farmers. The Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) seeks to achieve blending of Ethanol with motor sprit with a view to reducing pollution, conserve foreign exchange and increase value addition in the sugar industry enabling them to clear cane price arrears of farmers.

The Central Government has scaled up blending targets from 5% to 10% under the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP). The procedure of procurement of ethanol under the EBP has been simplified to streamline the entire ethanol supply chain and remunerative ex-depot price of ethanol has been fixed. To facilitate achieving of new blending targets, a "grid” which networks distilleries to OMC depots and details quantities to be supplied has been worked out. State-wise demand profile has also been projected, keeping in view distances, capacities and other sectoral demands. Excise duty has also been waived on ethanol supplies to OMCs for EBP by sugar mills during 2015-16 (up to 10 August, 2016). The results have been quite encouraging, with supplies doubling every year. In the year 2013-14, ethanol supplied for blending was only 38 crore litres, whereas in 2014-15, under the modified EBP supplies increased to 67 crore litres. In the ethanol season 2015-16, the ethanol supply has been historically high and has reached 111 crore litres achieving 4.2% of blending. In the ethanol season 2016-17, out of 80 cr litre contracted about 66.51 cr litre has been supplied. Further, in the ethanol season 2017-18, LOI has been issued for supply of 139.51 cr litres of ethanol, out of which agreement have been signed for 136 cr litres and about 46.25 cr litre has been supplied so far. In addition second round of tender has been opened by OMCs for bidding for procurement of 117 cr litre of ethanol under EBP.