Will India increase ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20%? What MoS Suresh Gopi Said | Today’s news
The government has not taken any decision to increase ethanol blend in petrol beyond the current level of 20% or introduce ethanol in diesel for commercial use, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Suresh Gopi told the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Any move to increase the blending percentage will be considered only after detailed scientific studies and discussions with all key stakeholders, he added.
“Currently, the government has not taken any decision to increase ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20% or to introduce ethanol blending in diesel for commercial use. Any future decision, if considered, will be based on a comprehensive scientific assessment, vehicle compatibility studies, stakeholder consultations and availability of adequate domestic production capacity,” Gopi said in a written reply to a question.
India met the 20% ethanol target ahead of schedule
In response to a separate question, Gopi also said that India has achieved the 20% ethanol blending target five years ahead of schedule, with average blending rising from around 1.53% in 2013-14 to 20% in supply year 2025-26, after more than two decades of phase-in.
Since 2014-15, he said, the program has led to foreign exchange savings more than more ₹1.97 trillion trillion, replaced nearly 316 million metric tons of oil, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by about 952 million tons, and created more than ₹1.66 lakh crore in additional income to farmers.
No complaints about gasoline with ethanol added
The Minister of State also said that the government had not received any widespread or substantiated complaints linking E20 petrol (20% ethanol) to engine failures, fuel pump problems, corrosion, water pollution or other vehicle performance problems, and claimed that extensive scientific studies had found the fuel to be safe to use at prescribed standards.
The government said it had “received no widespread or substantiated complaints from vehicle manufacturers, automobile associations or consumer organizations regarding engine failure, fuel pump problems, corrosion, water contamination or other performance problems attributable to E20 fuel”.
Any mileage loss for older vehicles designed for E10 is “generally marginal,” he said, around 3-5%, while E20 offers higher octane and a cleaner burn. Manufacturers continue to honor warranties on vehicles using compliant E20 fuel, he added in a written response.
No proposal to mandate lower or unblended gasoline
Gopi said there was no proposal to mandate lower or unblended gasoline at select outlets because running parallel supply chains would increase costs and dilute the program’s environmental and farm income benefits.
“There is no proposal to mandate the availability of unblended gasoline or gasoline with a lower blend content at selected retail outlets. The government’s policy is to gradually transition to cleaner, technologically superior and environmentally sustainable fuels in accordance with the National Biofuels Policy and the Ethanol Blended Gasoline Program (EBP),” he said.
