India: Now, sugarcane for fuel

Oilfields and coal mines are passe. India is now poised to make a go at acquiring sugarcane acreages overseas in search of energy security.

The idea is to put in place an assured supply of ethanol, a byproduct of the sugar industry that is mixed with petrol to produce swadeshi fuel or ‘gasohol’. Progressive use of this fuel will reduce the country’s oil bill by reducing dependance on imported crude.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to flag the issue of Indian state-owned oil firms acquiring sugarcane fields in Brazil during his visit later this month. Brazil is the largest sugarcane producer in the world and global leader in gasohol usage.

Times of India