HPCL-Mittal Energy constructing ethanol plant in northern India
"Our company is in the process of constructing 100,000 tonnes per annum ethanol plant based on agricultural inputs like waste food," Pravin Shirke, assistant general manager at HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), told a forum at the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC). He added that the plant will be operational next year.
HMEL is a joint venture between state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd and Mittal Energy Investments.
India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has expanded the excise duty exemption for biofuels to encourage the blending of higher proportions of ethanol and components of vegetable oil with gasoline and diesel.
India plans to introduce 20per cent ethanol blending with gasoline in some parts of the country from April next year, followed by a nationwide roll out from 2025/26.