20% ethanol-mixed petrol rolled out in 11 states/UTs

Bengaluru: Petrol doped with 20 per cent ethanol was rolled out on Monday at select petrol pumps in 11 states and union territories as part of a programme to increase use of biofuels to cut emissions as well as dependence on foreign exchange-draining imports. At present, 10 per cent ethanol is blended in petrol (10 per cent ethanol, 90 per cent petrol) and the government is looking to double this quantity by 2025.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the higher 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol two months ahead of the planned rollout in April, at the 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 progressing towards 20 per cent blending," Modi said. In the first phase, 15 cities will be covered and in the next two years it will be expanded throughout the country. India saved as much as Rs 53,894 crore in forex outgo from 10 per cent blending besides benefiting the 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/UTs. Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India achieved blending of 10 per cent ethanol in petrol, 5 months in advance during June'2022.

"We also advanced the availability of E20 blended petrol to 2025, 5 years from earlier planned in 2030," he said, adding that now E20 is being rolled out ahead of schedule on a pilot basis. "As a country on a fast trajectory of economic growth, India is projected to witness the largest increase in energy demand of any country over the next two decades, accounting for close to 28 per cent of incremental global growth in energy demand," he said.

Use of ethanol, extracted from sugarcane as well as broken rice and other agri produce, will help the world's third largest oil consumer and importing country cut its reliance on overseas shipments. India currently is 85 per cent dependent on imports for meeting its oil needs. Also, it cuts carbon emissions. Use of E20 leads to an estimated reduction of carbon monoxide emissions by about 50 per cent in two-wheelers and about 30 per cent in four-wheelers compared to E0 (neat petrol). Hydrocarbon emissions are estimated to reduce by 20 per cent in both two-wheelers and passenger cars. India spent $120.7 billion on import of crude oil in 2021-22 fiscal (April 2021 to March 2022). In the current fiscal, $125 billion have been spent on oil imports in the first nine months (April 2022 to December 2022) alone.