Ethanol Production from Sweet Sorghum Syrup for Utilization as Automotive Fuel in India

Ethanol demand is increasing drastically in the present time due to its blending in automotive fuels, which is desirable for getting clean exhaust and fuel sufficiency. The higher cost of cultivation of sugarcane/-beets, highly sensitive molasses rates, and ultimately instabilities in the price of ethanol have created grounds to search for an alternative source for ethanol production. Sweet sorghum has shown potential as a raw material for fuel-grade ethanol production due to its rapid growth rate and early maturity, greater water use efficiency, limited fertilizer requirement, high total value, and wide adoptability. Ethanol-producing companies, research institutions, and governments can coordinate with farmers to strategically develop value-added utilization of sweet sorghum. Fuel-grade ethanol production from sweet sorghum syrup can significantly reduce India's dependence on foreign oil and also minimize the environmental threat caused by fossil fuels.