Transport minister calls on Maharashtra mills to sell ethanol directly to consumers

In India, the Tribune newspaper reports that the transportation minister has called on sugar mills in Maharashtra to set up filling stations on-site in order to sell ethanol fuel directly to consumers. The government is facilitating investment in expansion of ethanol production and promoting vehicles like the new ethanol-fueled motorcycle in an effort to boost supply and demand but infrastructure to retail ethanol is still missing. The drought is impacting the state’s ability to produce ethanol, however, so mills are seeking permission to use sugar as feedstock for ethanol so it can supply oil marketing companies with the 830 million liters of ethanol need this year.