‘Ethanol blending in petrol didn’t happen overnight’:It was a tried tested process adopted globally, says govt

Amidst the ongoing protests regarding ethanol blending in petrol, the government said on Saturday that ethanol blending was not done overnight, but is a tested, scientific and step-by-step process. The global practice of mixing it with petrol has been adopted and top agencies have also tested it. Expert Vartika Shukla, representing the government at a press conference of industry experts held in Delhi on ethanol blending, made this statement. Vartika Shukla informed that during 2013 and 2014 in the country, only 1.5% ethanol was being mixed in petrol. Now under this program, 20% ethanol blending (E20) is being done in petrol. The target of 20% ethanol blending has been achieved five years ahead of the scheduled time, i.e., by December 2025.
Why is E20 petrol being opposed in India? In India, this mixture of 20% ethanol and 80% petrol, i.e., E20-petrol, is being opposed. Especially owners of petrol vehicles manufactured before 2023 are troubled. They claim that this fuel is reducing vehicle mileage, maintenance costs have increased, and engine parts are getting damaged quickly. However, the Government of India says that ethanol does cause a slight reduction in mileage, but it improves the vehicle’s pickup and engine performance. Top agencies have already tested it Expert Shukla explained that specifically in the year 2018, the Ethanol Blending Program (EBP) was presented in a structured manner for discussion and deliberation before all stakeholders. This entire program is based on scientific evidence. The Ethanol Blending Program has full support from automotive manufacturers and the key agencies supporting them. Top agencies like the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and SIAM have conducted large-scale testing of it. According to Vartika Shukla, this program of blending ethanol in petrol is completely in line with global best practices adopted worldwide. Through this, fossil fuel is being made ‘green’ so that carbon emissions in the environment can be reduced to a great extent. India’s ethanol program will play an even bigger role in addressing energy security, agrarian distress and climate goals in the coming years, with E20 set to become the standard fuel compatible with all vehicles sold after April 2023, news daily ANI cited Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, as saying. Focus now on clearing consumer misconceptions: Toyota VP Speaking in an exclusive conversation with ANI, Gulati said the focus now should be on clearing consumer misconceptions and scaling ethanol as a carbon-neutral fuel. All vehicles sold after 1 April 2023 are fully compliant with E20: E20 is the standard fuel that will be available and it is compatible with old vehicles and new vehicles. -Vikram Gulati He added that all vehicles sold after 1 April 2023 are fully materially compliant with E20. He also clarified that higher blends like E85 and E100 are not meant for regular cars and will require flex-fuel vehicle technology. India has always been energy deficient. We import huge amounts of crude, which has a very negative impact on our economy. It also has a negative impact on the environment and also we are susceptible to any disruption in supply. -Gulati Sale of ethanol-blended petrol has increased farmers’ income The Toyota VP said that farmer incomes have gone up across states including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and in areas where sugarcane is grown widely after the government stepped up focus on the ethanol-blended petrol programme after 2018. Ethanol is the best fuel to fight climate change On environmental benefits, Gulati called ethanol “the best fuel if you want to fight climate change” because it is carbon neutral. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants when they grow. And when you make this into fuel and burn it, the carbon dioxide that comes out is actually absorbed back by the plants. – Toyota VP Idea that E20 will damage vehicles is false Addressing myths around ethanol-blended petrol, Gulati said there is widespread misunderstanding. He said the idea that E20 will damage vehicles is false. Citing a 2021 study by ARAI, India’s leading automobile testing agency, he said it “clearly established that the possible damage to cars and two wheelers which are old is not there. It is very insignificant.” Ethanol reduces mileage by 2-4%: Toyota On mileage, he acknowledged there is some loss but “it is not so big as it being made out to be,” pegging it at 2-4%. He also dismissed concerns about pollution from ethanol plants, saying all Indian plants require environment clearances, operate as zero-effluent units, and reuse by-products like bagasse, making them “extremely clean in terms of their processes.”