(June 29, 2010) WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. ethanol production fell slightly in April. According to information from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), April 2010 ethanol production averaged more than 832,000 barrels per day (b/d). That is down from 847,000 b/d in March.

Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association, reached an all time high at 834,000 b/d in April, up from 673,000 b/d a year ago.

EIA also reports fuel ethanol imports of 1.5 million gallons in April.

As the RFA recently reported, America is exporting ethanol at record rates. According to data from the Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau, and the Dept. of Agriculture Foreign Ag Service, the U.S. exported 40.8 million gallons of ethanol in April.

It is important to note export figures represent sum of “Ethyl alcohol and other spirits, denatured, of any strength” and “Undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80 percent vol. or higher.” Thus, the figures likely include ethyl alcohol exports for non-fuel industrial purposes. As such, RFA ethanol demand calculations are for domestic use only, providing a comparison to domestic ethanol production.

According to weekly data now being published by EIA, ethanol production for the week ending 6/18/2010 was 846,000 b/d.

The RFA released the following statistics:

April 2010 Statistics
(mg = million gallons; b/d = barrels per day)
  
*Source: Energy Information Administration, Renewable Fuels Association
**Source: RFA calculations, does not include exports
***Source: Source: Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau, USDA-FAS; Export figures represent sum of “Ethyl alcohol and other spirits, denatured, of any strength” and “Undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80 percent vol. or higher.” Thus, the figures likely include ethyl alcohol exports for non-fuel industrial purposes.