Blending ethanol with petrol, diesel may cut fuel cost: Maha

Expressing the need to blend ethanol with petrol and diesel, Maharashtra Cooperative Minister Harshavardhan Patil today asserted such mechanism may help in bringing down fuel cost.
"We need to have amendment in the Ethanol Policy which will help in blending it with petrol and diesel. It may also help in reducing the prices of petrol," he said.
"Since ethanol is green fuel, the state government is completely in favour of ethanol blending. We will take a delegation to Central Government in this regard," Patil said.
The minister said the state was supplying ethanol to the tune Rs 2.20 crore litre to oil companies whereas the agreement done with them is of Rs 4.76 crore.

"The state's ethanol generating capacity is of Rs 100 crore per season," he added.
Patil said a successful experiment was conducted in state transport buses of Karnataka, wherein they blended 5 per cent ethanol with petrol.
"We have the potential to generate ethanol as we have the infrastructure for it. The blending of ethanol can be useful in the current crisis situation as the farmers can be benefited through it," Patil added.