Ethanol Drive Raises Doubts Over India’s Edible Oil Self-Reliance

Indian farmers are switching from growing oilseeds to rice and corn to achieve India’s ethanol blending target. This will be a setback for the world’s largest buyer for cooking oil to reduce costly imports, Reuters reported.  The record harvest of rice and corn has led the government to utilise more grains to produce ethanol, meeting its target of blending 20% of the biofuel additive with gasoline.

This process has also resulted in an abundance of Distillers Dried Grains Solution (DDGS), a protein-rich byproduct flooding the animal feed market. This abundance has weakened demand for oilmeals, increased oilseed prices, and prompted Indian farmers to plant more grains, despite the government’s push to grow more oilseeds to ease imports.

Indian Govt to Pay $3.4 billion to State-Run Refiners as a Compensation for Cooking Gas Losses

Ashwini Vaishnav, Information and Broadcasting Minister announced that the government has approved the payout of $3.4 billion to state-run refiners on selling subsidized cooking gas, reported Reuters. This compensation would be paid to Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum. 

This move will allow state-run oil companies to continue crude procurement, debt servicing, and sustaining capital expenditure, said the ministry in a statement. 

Captive and Commercial Block in Five States Produced 10.80 MT in FY26 So Far

Thirty-nine coal blocks across five states have recorded an output of 10.80 MT in Fiscal 26 up to July 31. These commercial and captive blocks produced 34.80 MT of output in Fiscal 25, reported ET Energyworld.  

Out of 39 coal blocks examined, 35 of them are in Madhya Pradesh, two in Assam, one in Arunachal Pradesh, one in Telangana, and two in Gujarat. The ministry said there is a need to expedite the operations of the remaining 25 coal blocks to strengthen domestic coal supply, reduce import dependence, and meet the country’s growing energy demand. 

Government to Set Up 8 New Coking Coal Washeries To Boost Domestic Supply

The coal ministry is set to open up eight new coal washeries of 21.5 MTPA across Jharkhand and West Bengal to boost domestic supply and cut imports for the steel sector, said the ministry in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, ET Energyworld reported.  This project is a part of “Mission Coking Coal” launched in August 2021 to raise domestic production and reduce import dependence. 

Coal India has also offered 11 discontinued coking coal mines to the private sector under a revenue sharing model and had commissioned New Madhuband Coking Coal Washery of Bharat Coal Limited in 2023-24. 

Kazakhstan’s Oil Exports to Germany Jumped 38% Y-o-Y for January-July Period

Kazakhstan’s oil exports to Germany through Russia’s Druzhba pipeline jumped 38% year on year for the January to July period to 1.086 million metric tons, said Kaztransoil, pipeline company, reported Reuters.  Supply in the July period was 160,000 tons up 11,000 from the same month last year. 

The pipeline company also said that oil exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in the first seven months of the year was up by 10% from the same period last year to 923,000 tons.

Indian government reassures that E20 leads to better mileage, ride quality

The introduction of 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20), necessary for India to meet its 2070 net zero goals, has not gone down well with citizens. People have complained that the E20 petrol has led to drop in mileage, and can cause damages to other engine components, which are not suitable for the increased ethanol. Amid this backlash, the Centre reiterated that E20 leads to better acceleration and ride quality, while also reducing pollution and oil imports, reported NDTV.

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