Argentina boosts ethanol mandate to 12%

In Argentina, the country has approved a shift to 12% ethanol blending from the current 10%, with the additional 20% in demand—about 160,000 cubic meters—to be serviced entirely by sugarcane-based ethanol in an effort to help the industry recover from low sugar prices. Currently sugarcane ethanol represents about 41% of the country’s total ethanol production, with the remainder coming from corn. The policy should come online in March or April and is seen as a transitional measure to 15% blending.