In August, China’s ethanol output was 835,000 tons, an increase of 28,700 tons month-on-month, up 3.56%. Cumulative production from January to August 2026 reached 7.0051 million tons.
Supply Structure Analysis: Production Process
Among bio-fermentation ethanol producers, operating rates in Northeast China rose. Hongzhan’s two plants—Jixian and Huanan—were in production but were shut down in mid-month. SDIC Tieling, Hailun, and Jidong units were operating; Wanli produced normally this month; Jilin Xintianlong operated normally; and Jilin Dongfeng Hualiang remained shut down. In Inner Mongolia, Zhalantun and Chifeng Ruiyang both resumed production. In East China, operating rates declined. Anhui COFCO operated steadily, with the Bengbu plant running normally; Anhui Wanshen produced normally; Huating resumed production after a brief shutdown. In the Mengzhou area of Henan, the Houyuan unit had a brief shutdown, other plants ran normally, and the Xinxiang unit resumed production. In Guangxi, operating rates were stable: Guangxi COFCO, Guangxi Jinyuan, and Guangxi Xintiande were producing normally. Among molasses ethanol producers, only Haiying was in operation; all others were shut down and sold from inventory. Coal-based ethanol operating rates rose slightly. Henan Ruibai was shut down, and Xinjiang Tianye was shut down in mid-month. Henan Liyuan, Hubei Jingmen Yuanhan, Hunan Petrochemical, Anhui Tanxin, and Shandong Hengxin units were operating normally.
Maintenance Loss Analysis
During the month, ethanol units with an annual processing capacity of 4.24 million tons were shut down. Hongzhan’s Jixian and Huanan plants in Heilongjiang had scheduled shutdowns in August. SDIC Tieling produced at the beginning of the month; Hailun was producing; Jidong produced normally; Wanli started feeding the unit on the 25th. Jilin Xintianlong was shut down at the beginning of the month and resumed production in mid-to-late month. Jilin Dongfeng Hualiang remained shut down. Inner Mongolia Zhalantun was shut down; Chifeng Ruiyang was shut down; Anhui COFCO’s fuel ethanol output declined, with one line in Suzhou and one in Bengbu shut down. Guannan Xinguan and Lianyungang Longhe units were shut down. Among the three plants in Henan, the Hanyong unit was briefly shut down, other units ran normally, and the Xinxiang unit was shut down. For coal-based ethanol, Yushen continued to run at low load; Jingmen Yuanhan, Baling Petrochemical, and Henan Ruibai units were in normal production; Anhui Tanxin resumed production after a one-week brief shutdown.
Table 6 Summary of Ethanol Unit Maintenance in August 2026 (Unit: 10,000 tons)
| Producer | Unit under Maintenance | Capacity | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anhui COFCO | Fermentation ethanol | 15.00 | 2026/5/18 | |
| Hongzhan Jixian | Fermentation ethanol | 60.00 | 2026/8/14 | |
| Hongzhan Huanan | Fermentation ethanol | 30.00 | 2026/8/17 | |
| Guannan Xinguan | Fermentation ethanol | 10.00 | 2025/10/20 | |
| Zhalantun | Fermentation ethanol | 15.00 | 2026/6/1 | 2026/8/14 |
| Lianyungang Longhe | Fermentation ethanol | 10.00 | 2025/10/20 | |
| Dongfeng Hualiang | Fermentation ethanol | 10.00 | 2026/4/30 | |
| Chifeng Ruiyang | Fermentation ethanol | 8.00 | 2026/6/18 | 2026/8/15 |
| Xinxiang Xinxing Bio | Fermentation ethanol | 8.00 | 2026/5/18 | 2026/8/7 |
| Henan Houyuan | Fermentation ethanol | 50.00 | 2026/8/26 | 2026/8/27 |
| Sichuan Hongzhan | Fermentation ethanol | 30.00 | 2026/6/15 | |
| Heilongjiang Shenglong | Fermentation ethanol | 50.00 | 2026/6/30 | 2026/9/1 |
| Jilin Fukang | Fermentation ethanol | 50.00 | 2026/7/10 | 2026/8/8 |
| Jilin Yushu | Fermentation ethanol | 17.00 | 2026/7/28 | 2026/8/20 |
| Huating | Fermentation ethanol | 26.00 | 2026/7/25 | 2026/8/30 |
| Xinjiang Tianye | Coal-based ethanol | 25.00 | 2026/8/15 | |
| Henan Ruibai | Coal-based ethanol | 25.00 | 2026/8/19 | |
| Huizhou Yuxin | Coal-based ethanol | 10.00 | 2026/7/3 | 2026/8/14 |
| Total | 449.00 | -- | -- |
Source: Chempricehub
Ethanol Monthly Supply-Demand Balance Sheet — Rolling Three Months (Unit: 10,000 tons)
| Aug | Sep E | MoM | Oct E | Nov E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning inventory | 6.48 | 6.88 | 6.17% | 5.85 | 11.58 |
| Production | 83.50 | 85.00 | 1.80% | 88.00 | 88.00 |
| Imports | 0.36 | 0.37 | 2.78% | 0.38 | 0.38 |
| Total supply | 90.34 | 92.25 | 2.11% | 94.23 | 99.96 |
| Downstream consumption | 77.10 | 80.00 | 3.76% | 82.00 | 85.00 |
| Exports | 6.36 | 6.40 | 0.63% | 6.50 | 6.50 |
| Total demand | 83.46 | 86.40 | 3.52% | 88.50 | 91.50 |
| Supply-demand balance | 6.88 | 5.85 | -14.97% | 5.73 | 8.46 |
| Ending inventory | 6.88 | 5.85 | -14.97% | 11.58 | 20.04 |
Source: Chempricehub. Note: ① Total supply = production + imports; total demand = downstream consumption (actual consumption in downstream markets) + exports; supply-demand balance = total supply - total demand.
The supply-demand balance remained positive in August and widened further from the previous month. The main reasons were that concentrated plant maintenance in the market had ended, supply increased in other regions, and the market remained oversupplied on the supply-demand front.
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