Hindustan Petroleum may become first OMC to own its own ethanol production

In India, ahead of the new E10 blending mandate, Hindustan Petroleum may become the country’s oil marketing company to invest in its own ethanol production by bidding $9 million for two mothballed sugar mills in Bihar state. The facilities have been closed since 2005 and will require investment in order to get them back online and determine exactly how much ethanol they can produce. The company will be required to continue producing sugar at the mills as ethanol-only facilities are still forbidden.