Drought to cut sugarcane production but cassava to fill gap for ethanol feedstock

March 14, 2016 |

In Thailand, ethanol producers are likely to boost use of cassava as feedstock this year due to drought impacts that will reduce sugarcane availability. Currently 30% of ethanol is produced from cassava but that could increase to 40% as molasses availability decreases. Demand could soar to 25 million liters per day from the current 3.7 million liters per day thanks to an E20 blending mandate and phasing out E5 blends. China’s shift to ethanol production from corn rather than imported Thai tapioca led to an excess of 16 million metric tons of cassava annually, feedstock that could be absorbed by ethanol producers.

Category: Fuels

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