Ukraine is increasing the production of bioethanol from corn

Bioethanol production is actively expanding in Ukraine – about 1 million tons of processing facilities are currently being built within industrial parks alone. For their full operation, approximately 3 million tons of corn are required each year, said Taras Mykolaenko, director of the Ukrainian Association of Bioethanol Producers.

“We are currently talking about creating a new industrial park, and bioethanol production is planned in every second one. We have 1 million tons of capacities that are just starting to lay the foundation. If we translate (these figures, – ed. note) into corn, then 3 million tons of it are needed. So, corn in an optimistic scenario with full load (of bioethanol plants – ed. note) will be processed here,” he said at the conference “Doing Agribusiness in Ukraine”.

According to Mykolaenko, the European market consumes about 6 million tons of bioethanol per year, and Ukrainian producers could successfully compete there. During the negotiations on the updated trade agreement, the EU planned to limit imports from Ukraine to a quota of 100 thousand tons, but the Ukrainian side managed to increase it to 125 thousand tons. The industry plans to raise the quota to 300 thousand tons in 2026.

He also recalled that since July 2025, a draft law has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which proposes to introduce the mandatory addition of more than 7% bioethanol to fuel from July 2026, in order to bring the share to 10%. This requirement will also apply to imported fuel. Such a step, according to industry estimates, will significantly increase domestic consumption of bioethanol.

Tags: Ukraine, corn, biofuel