Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri is confident that India will meet the target of supplying petrol mixed with 20 percent ethanol by 2025, five years ahead of the previously planned roll-out in 2030.
Petrol blended with 20 percent ethanol was launched at select petrol pumps in 11 states and Union Territories in February 2023 under a programme to raise the use of biofuels to cut emissions and dependence on oil imports. Currently, 10 percent ethanol is blended in 90 percent petrol. The blending of 10 percent ethanol in petrol was accomplished in June 2022, five months ahead of the schedule. The Centre now plans to double this quantity by 2025.
India not only saved Rs. 41,500 crore in forex spending from 10 percent blending, but also benefitted farmers, the union minister said. “We also advanced the availability of E20 blended petrol to 2025, five years from earlier planned in 2030,” he added.
Use of E20 leads to an estimated reduction of carbon monoxide emissions by about 50 percent in two-wheelers and about 30 percent in four-wheelers compared to E0, i.e., neat petrol. Hydrocarbon emissions are estimated to reduce by 20 percent in both two-wheelers and passenger cars.
