Chinese oil refiners propose to halt corn ethanol, citing costs, food needs

In China, agricultural experts from Shenyang Agricultural University are saying that it’s too early for reliance on corn-based ethanol because of high production costs and the country’s growing population.

With the country’s corn-growing regions prone to extreme weather disasters, like those this year that parched southwest China early this year, along with the devastating floods that hit most parts of China this summer.

Earlier this month, China’s largest membership association of private petroleum enterprises made a proposal to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, to halt the corn-to-ethanol project.

China is also exploring the production and use of cassava and sweet potato for ethanol production.

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