Mobile Menu

Ethanol Fuel Production in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Alex Petridis Alex Petridis New York, United States Last Updated: August 2024 NAICS OD4500

Revenue

$33.6bn

2024

$32.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$X.Xbn

Employees

9,195

Businesses

106

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry analysis

The Ethanol Fuel Production industry consists of companies that concentrate on producing nonpotable ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, for use as motor fuel. Products are primarily used as a biofuel additive for gasoline. According to the United States Department of Energy, more than 98.0% of gas in the United States contains some ethanol. Ethanol fuel is a domestically produced alternative to traditional fuel, generally made from corn. The dry-milling process, which composes most ethanol plants in the US, involves converting corn to flour and fermenting it to form ethanol. This makes operations highly sensitive to commodity prices, such as the world price of crude oil and corn.

Trends and Insights

  • Inflation in the price of oil and corn has led to the ripple effect of ethanol growing more expensive, enabling industry manufacturers to achieve robust revenue growth. Industry profitability has expanded with revenue growth and higher selling prices.
  • While most vehicles on American roads use E10 or E15 varieties of gasoline, these fuels are low in ethanol. Alternatively, fuels like E85, although less popular, make up for it by being primarily ethanol-based and account for a near equivalent share of revenue.
  • Industry enterprises take advantage of situating themselves in strategic proximity to downstream markets. Manufacturers in regions like the Great Lakes capitalize on nearby ports and those in the Southeast gain valuable access to the Gulf Coast.
  • Pricing is a differentiating factor in this industry for ethanol products and raw material inputs. Securing affordable raw material supply contracts enables manufacturers to offer more accessible pricing options downstream.
Show more

Everything you need in one report

  • Reliable market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
  • Powerful SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and risk management frameworks
  • Online membership platform with PDF, Word, Excel and PPT exports

Industry Overview

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 5.3 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $33.6bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Market growth driven by increased demand and investment

  • The ethanol fuel production industry has seen consistent growth driven largely by increased demand for alternative energy sources. Many governments have implemented policies and regulations favoring biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This regulatory support has encouraged investors to pour more resources into ethanol production. With the growing emphasis on sustainability, consumers are also becoming more inclined towards ethanol. Expanding infrastructure and technological advancements have bolstered production capabilities.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Ethanol Fuel Production in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

The Ethanol Fuel Production industry will slightly contract over the next five years

  • This contraction can be attributed to overall declines in commodity prices over the outlook period. Much of the current growth was because of rapidly rising commodity prices, especially in 2021. Despite profit rising over the outlook period, price competition among producers and falling input prices will mitigate this growth.

Biggest companies in the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2023
Revenue ($m)
2023
Profit ($m)
2023
Profit Margin (%)
2023
Green Plains Inc.
2,815.9
-66.9
-2.4
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co
1,894.4
29.2
1.5

To view the market share and analysis for all 2 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Ethanol Fuel Production in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including E10 and E15, E85 and E25 and other blends. E10 and E15 is the largest segment of the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US.

Trends and Insights

E10 and E15 fuels are the industry's largest products

  • E10 is a low-level blend composed of 10.0% ethanol and 90.0% gasoline. It is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in any conventional, gasoline-powered vehicle.
  • More insights available in the full report

Unbiased research for even more industries at your fingertips

  • 5000+Industries covered
  • 100+Local analysts
  • 250k+Hours of detailed analysis
  • 100k+Subscriber community

Purchase a membership to access this industry and so much more.

Widen you competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • There are no industries to display.

Complementors

  • Corn Farming in the US
  • Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling in the US
  • Gas Stations in the US
  • Fuel Dealers in the US

International industries

  • Global Oil & Gas Exploration & Production
  • Organic Chemical Manufacturing in Canada
  • Ethanol Fuel Production in Australia
  • Organic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK
  • Organic Chemical Material Manufacturing in China

View all industries in United States

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Operators in this industry produce ethanol fuel. This industry concentrates on non-potable ethanol (ethyl alcohol) that is used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline.

What's included in this industry?

E10 and E15E85E25 and other blends

Companies

Green Plains Inc.Archer-Daniels-Midland Co

Purchase this report to view all 2 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

FEEDSTOCKETHANOL-BLENDED FUEL (EBF)E10E15E85FUEL FLEXIBLE VEHICLE (FFV)

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 32519 - Ethanol Fuel Production in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Inflation in the price of oil and corn has led to the ripple effect of ethanol growing more expensive, enabling industry manufacturers to achieve robust revenue growth. Indus...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

While most vehicles on American roads use E10 or E15 varieties of gasoline, these fuels are low in ethanol. Alternatively, fuels like E85, although less popular, make up for ...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Industry enterprises take advantage of situating themselves in strategic proximity to downstream markets. Manufacturers in regions like the Great Lakes capitalize on nearby p...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Pricing is a differentiating factor in this industry for ethanol products and raw material inputs. Securing affordable raw material supply contracts enables manufacturers to ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Green Plains Obion's implementation of Fluid Quip Technologies' MSC system increases renewable corn production at the facility by one-half. This production is one step in a p...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Green Plains Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Archer-Daniels-Midland Co's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Green Plains Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Archer-Daniels-Midland Co, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The price of key inputs and commodities, such as corn and oil, was depleted early on in the period. However, they have since recovered and skyrocketed in line with improving ...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Depreciation accounts for a larger share of industry revenue than wages, leading to the industry's high capital intensity. Wages account for less than 2.0% of industry revenu...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
  • Income Statement (2017-2022)
  • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States in 2024?

The market size of the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States is $33.6bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in 2024?

There are 106 businesses in the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.3 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States has been growing at a CAGR of 5.3 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US market in United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Ethanol Fuel Production market in United States are Green Plains Inc. and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co

What does the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US in United States include?

E10 and E15 and E85 are part of the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US in United States?

The company holding the most market share in United States is Green Plains Inc..

How competitive is the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Ethanol Fuel Production in the US industry in United States.