Government Planning To Increase Ethanol Blend Beyond 20 Per Cent

The Indian government is planning to increase ethanol percentage in fuel beyond its current goals. The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri announced that talks have already begun to create a plan for after 2025, when the country expects to reach its target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol.

Right now, India's national average for ethanol blending is about 16 per cent, a big jump from just 1.5 per cent ten years ago. At a press conference, Minister Puri further expressed his confidence about reaching the 20 per cent target by 2025 and is already thinking about setting higher goals. Most petrol-powered vehicles can use fuel with 10% ethanol without any changes. For 20% blended fuel, only small adjustments are needed.

(Also Read: Gadkari Asks Bajaj To Replace Petrol With Ethanol In New CNG Bike)

To encourage more use of ethanol, state-run oil companies have already started to sell pure ethanol (E100) at about 400 gas stations in four states. They're also promoting E85 fuel, which is 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol. The hope is that this will encourage car makers to manufacture more vehicles that can use these high-ethanol fuels. Many two-wheeler companies are expected to showcase their 100% ethanol-ready motorcycles at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Global Expo in January, 2025. 

The government's policies have already encouraged a lot of investment in ethanol production. This has further helped solve the problem of not having enough ethanol, which used to slow down the blending process. The latest push for more ethanol use will help India to reduce its dependence on imported oil and further lower vehicle emissions.