Key Points
India targets 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025
OMCs already achieved 10% blending in June 2022
Ethanol production supports agricultural diversification
Under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) Programme, the government has fixed the target of 20 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol by 2025.
According to the 'Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25', prepared recently by an inter-ministerial committee, using 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) results in marginal reduction in fuel efficiency for four-wheelers designed for E10 and calibrated for E20.
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) had informed the committee that with modifications in engine hardware and tuning, the efficiency loss due to blended fuel can be reduced.
"The committee report has also highlighted that no major issues were observed in vehicle performance, wear of engine components, or engine oil deterioration with E20 fuel," according to the minister.
The National Policy on Biofuels-2018, as amended in 2022, inter-alia advanced the target of 20 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol to Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26 from 2030.
Public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) achieved the target of 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol in June 2022, five months ahead of the target during ESY 2021-22.
Blending of ethanol further increased to 12.06 per cent in ESY 2022-23, 14.60 per cent in ESY 2023-24, and 17.98 per cent in ESY 2024-25 up to February 28, 2025.
So far, no decision has been taken by the government for increasing ethanol blending beyond 20 per cent, the minister informed.
The National Policy on Biofuels permits use of food grains during surplus phase as declared by the National Biofuel Coordination Committee.
This policy also promotes and encourages use of feedstock such as corn, cassava, rotten potatoes, damaged food grains like broken rice, food grains unfit for human consumption, maize, sugarcane juice and molasses, agriculture residues (rice straw, cotton stalk, corn cobs, saw dust, bagasse etc.).
Any diversion of sugarcane juice, its by-products, maize etc. for ethanol production is carefully calibrated in consultation with relevant stakeholders, according to the minister.
