Bharat Times | Petrol Doped with 20% Ethanol Starts Retailing in 11 States, UTs

Feb 06,2023

20 per cent ethanol will be introduced at select petrol pumps in 11 states and union territories on Monday as part of a program to scale up use of the biofuel to cut emissions as well as reduce dependence on foreign exchange-draining imports. Petrol was poured along with it. Currently, 10 percent ethanol is mixed in petrol (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent petrol) and the government wants to double this amount by 2025.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launched high 20 percent ethanol blended petrol two months ahead of planned rollout in April India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 here.

“We have increased ethanol blending in petrol from 1.5 per cent (in 2014) to 10 per cent and are now moving towards 20 per cent blending,” Modi said.

15 cities will be covered in the first phase; And in the next two years, it will be expanded across the country. India saved Rs 53,894 crore in foreign exchange outlay with 10 per cent blending, besides benefiting farmers. E-20 (petrol with 20 per cent ethanol) will be available at 84 petrol pumps of three state-owned fuel retailers in 11 states and union territories.

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that India achieved 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol 5 months in advance during June 2022. “We have extended the availability of E20 blended petrol to 2025, 5 years ahead of the earlier plan of 2030,” he said, adding that now E20 is being rolled out ahead of schedule on a pilot basis.

He said, “As a country on the fast track of economic growth, India is projected to see the largest increase in energy demand of any country over the next two decades, accounting for about 28 percent of the incremental global growth in energy demand. ” 

The use of ethanol extracted from sugarcane as well as broken rice and other agricultural products will help the world’s third-biggest oil consumer and importer reduce its dependence on foreign shipments. India is currently dependent on 85 per cent imports to meet its oil requirements. Plus, it cuts down on carbon emissions.

Compared to E0 (clean petrol), the use of E20 is estimated to reduce carbon monoxide emissions by about 50 percent in two-wheelers and about 30 percent in four-wheelers. An estimated 20 per cent reduction in hydrocarbon emissions is expected in both two-wheelers and passenger cars.

India spent $ 120.7 billion on crude oil imports in the financial year 2021-22 (April 2021 to March 2022). In the current financial year alone, in the first nine months (April 2022 to December 2022), $ 125 billion has been spent on oil imports.

During the supply year ending November 30, 2022, 440 crore liters of ethanol was added to petrol. For the next year, a target has been fixed for procurement of 540 crore liters of ethanol to start blending in large quantities.

The target of achieving average 10 per cent blending was achieved in June, 2022, much ahead of the target date of November, 2022. Buoyed by the success, the government extended the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025. ,

The program gives sugarcane farmers an additional source of income. During the last eight years, ethanol suppliers have earned Rs 81,796 crore while farmers have received Rs 49,078 crore. The country saved Rs 53,894 crore in foreign exchange expenditure. Also, it reduced carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions by 318 lakh tonnes.