Uttar Pradesh: Sugarcane shortage puts roadblocks on Khadda’s ethanol ambitions - ChiniMandi

Plans to launch a one-lakh-liter daily capacity ethanol facility in Khadda have hit a roadblock despite having all necessary technical approvals, documentation, and funding secured, reported Amar Ujala.

The primary bottleneck stems from an inadequate supply of sugarcane to the IPL sugar mill, which requires molasses, a key byproduct of crushed sugarcane, to fuel ethanol production. While the mill possesses a total crushing capacity of 4.5 million quintals, it processed a mere 2.7 million quintals during the previous season. Local industry experts note that the problem is not a regional lack of sugarcane crops, but rather the distribution of local purchasing centers and mill gates to competing sugar mills, which severely restricts IPL’s direct supply.

This delay delivers a major blow to the region’s economic prospects, particularly as national and state policies push for higher ethanol blending in petrol to foster sustainable energy.

Initiatives for the Khadda facility first took shape in February 2020 during a local planning meeting with district authorities, environmental scientists, and farming representatives. Though earlier iterations considered a smaller 60-kiloliter capacity with co-generated power or a grain-based processing approach, officials eventually settled on the current 100-kiloliter model. N.P. Singh, chief manager at IPL Sugar Mill, confirmed that reserved land and administrative clearances are ready, but active construction remains paused until consistent raw material availability can be guaranteed to support full-scale operations.

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