Ethanol-blended petrol has led to controversies over the years, as a number of motorists have claimed it leads to engines getting damaged and mileage falling
Listing out measures that have helped India during the energy crisis caused by the ongoing war in West Asia, PM Narendra Modi specifically mentioned E20 petrol. He drew the link that because of 20% ethanol blending in petrol, India has had to import less oil. For oil, India is dependent largely on the Gulf region, which has been engulfed by the ever-widening war triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.
“In this time of crisis, another preparation of the country is proving very useful: in the last 10-11 years, unprecedented work has been done on ethanol production and blending. A decade ago, the country had a capacity of only 1% ethanol blending. Today, we are close to achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol. Due to this, in the last year, we have had to import about 4.5 crore barrels less oil,” he told the Lower House of Parliament in a speech that lasted about 20 minutes.
E20 petrol has led to controversies over the years, as a number of motorists have claimed it leads to engines getting damaged and mileage falling, particularly in older vehicles.
Road minister Nitin Gadkari and oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri have repeatedly denied this, and cautioned against misinformation on the issue.
The All India Distillers' Association (AIDA), meanwhile, has offered to supply ethanol blends exceeding 20% to mitigate the war's effects. It has demanded that the government raise the ethanol blending mandate gradually to 30%.In a letter to Nitin Gadkari, AIDA deputy director general Bharati Balaji said on Sunday: “Now with the Middle East [or West Asia] entangled in a war and oil prices having started increasing, we as an ethanol industry are ready to offer ethanol more than 20 per cent which will reduce proportionally the import of crude.”
India achieved its E20 ethanol blending target ahead of schedule, in 2025, a goal set under PM Modi's administration to cut fuel import bills and emissions.
Also, the AIDA has called for introduction of flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on 100% ethanol on the lines of Brazil; promotion of ethanol-based cook stoves for domestic and commercial use; and exploration of ethanol blending in diesel too.
India's ethanol sector now has a cumulative production capacity of around 2,000 crore litres, with more than 380 dedicated distilleries operational and a further 33 in the pipeline, news agency PTI reported on Sunday.
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