USGC assesses ethanol market in UAE
The US Grains Council (USGC) recently undertook a market assessment mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan to analyse the ethanol demand potential in both countries and engage with policymakers and industrial officials.
This in-country assessment followed previous research conducted by the Council to better understand the market dynamics driving the demand for ethanol. The UAE already imports a significant amount of ethanol from the United States. With exports totalling 45.4 million gallons (16.1 million bushels in corn equivalent), it was the 6th largest market for the US biofuel in 2016/2017.
“The UAE is importing ethanol, blending it into a subgrade blend stock and exporting finished fuel to countries in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Ramy H.Taieb, USGC regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. “This saves in refining costs and is more cost competitive than other oxygenates.” The Council also discussed with regional sustainability experts the environmental and human health benefits of expanded ethanol use – both for the UAE domestic market and the markets to which the UAE is exporting finished fuel.
The Council continues collaborate efforts to expand the global use of ethanol, including the opportunities for future demand in the Middle East region. This market assessment is only a first step in demonstrating ethanol’s environmental and economic value, which will be followed by future exchanges of technical information and discussions on other relevant topics.
[Source: US Grains]
