Australia to boost fuel-grade ethanol output

Australia’s industrial and sugar product manufacturer CSR Ltd. said it plans to increase its output of fuel-grade ethanol to 60 million liters per year (lpy) from 38 million lpy starting July in order to capitalize on growing demand. CSR began upgrading its 22 million lpy industrial and beverage-grade ethanol facility at its Sarina distillery in August 2008, with the installation of a molecular sieve dehydration unit. To soothe customers, the company clarified that it will not abandon the production of beverage-grade ethanol. CSR, media reports said, is the third-largest of Australia’s ethanol producers, with the largest being Manildra Group, owner of a 126 million lpy distillery at Nowra in the state of New South Wales, followed by the Dalby Bio-Refinery, which started production in early 2009 at its 76 million lpy distillery in neighboring Queensland. Australia’s smallest ethanol producer, Heck Group, is expected to expand its Rocky Point distillery in Queensland from 5 million lpy to 35 million lpy (April 3, 2009)