India allows sugar mills to use 670,000 tons of B-heavy molasses for ethanol production

In India, The Economic Times reported that the Indian government has allowed sugar mills to use 670,000 tons of B-heavy molasses as feedstock for making ethanol in the current year.

Sugar mills in India were holding excess stock of B-heavy molasses — a byproduct of the sweetener — produced before the ban on its use on December 7 last year.

However, a week later, the government reversed the ban and allowed the use of cane juice and B-heavy molasses, but within the overall cap of a diversion of 1.7 million tons of sugar for ethanol production for the 2023-24 supply year.

“We have permitted sugar mills to use B-heavy molasses lying with sugar mills for ethanol,” a government official said. This will be over and above the capped diversion of 17 lakh tons of sugar for ethanol production for 2023-24, he added.

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