Ethanol Blending Programme

Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra discussed concerns over chloride and moisture in E20 fuel even as the industry publicly backed the government's ethanol rollout

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State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) said on Friday that additional nationwide testing of E20 petrol found no evidence to support claims of high moisture or chloride contamination, with fuel quality remaining within prescribed limits across the supply chain. The intensified testing followed recent media reports alleging the presence of moisture and chloride in E20 (20 per cent ethanol blended petrol). Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) in a joint statement said the exercise covered the entire supply chain and reaffirmed that fuel quality remained "consistently well within prescribed limits". "Contrary to certain assertions being made, there is no evidence of any alarm on account of fuel contamination validated by extensive and scientifically designed tests," the companies said. The three OMCs said the government has prescribed stringent chloride specifications for ethanol used in petrol blending a

The industry body first flagged chloride contamination and vehicle-part failures, but later withdrew its letter as India's ethanol policy became a wider political and commercial issue

Auto industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers has withdrawn a letter written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas that had flagged concerns over contamination of E20 fuel that caused problems with vehicles citing the need for further authentication. In a statement, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said the "communication in question" was part of routine and ongoing technical deliberations that take place between various stakeholders, including industry bodies, oil marketing companies, auto OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and testing agencies. "Some numbers quoted in the communication need authentication through collection of elaborate data from various regions across the country followed by a comprehensive consultation with our member OEMs," the auto industry body said. It further said, "The referred numbers reported in the media need authentication as mentioned above and therefore SIAM is withdrawing its earlier ...

Youth Congress workers held a protest in Nagpur on Monday on the issue of E20 fuel and attempted to march to the residence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in order to 'gherao' it, but were stopped by the police, resulting in several participants being detained. The 'morcha' was held from Chitnivis Park Square in Mahal here till Gadkari's private residence in the same area, with Youth Congress workers shouting slogans about the unviability of E20 fuel. There was heavy deployment of police personnel near the Union minister's house along with barricades on the route, though protesters tried to climb over them to proceed. Several Congress workers were detained, police officials said. The Congress has been targeting Gadkari on the issue of E20 fuel claiming that his reply in Parliament on July 29 on the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol raises more questions than it answers. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday said Gadkari claims E20 has been rolled out after years of ...

Stepping up his campaign against the use of E20 petrol, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that he would march to the Prime Minister's residence on August 4 to submit a petition containing two lakh signatures collected through an online campaign. Addressing a "National Town Hall Against E20" at the Constitution Club of India here, Kejriwal said he would start the march at 12 noon on Tuesday with 100 volunteers. The Aam Aadmi Party national convenor appealed to those willing to accompany him to inform him through social media and said he expected to be allowed to proceed up to the same point where the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was recently "permitted" during a march to the Prime Minister's residence. "A few days ago, I appealed to people to sign a petition addressed to the Prime Minister. More than two lakh people have signed it online. I will personally take the petition to the Prime Minister's residence," he said. Kejriwal also pressed three

Rise in expenses triggered by lower fuel efficiency and uncertainty over vehicle compatibility were among the concerns voiced by participants at a town hall against E20 fuel organised here on Saturday by the Aam Aadmi Party. The event at the Constitution Club began with a street play by students, featuring satirical performances inspired by 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' and other characters to highlight concerns surrounding E20. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the event. Addressing the townhall, the former Delhi chief minister demanded that consumers should have the option to choose between regular petrol and E20 at fuel stations. A resident of Bihar, Chandan, said his petrol car, purchased in 2021, and after E20 became common, "I found myself refuelling much more frequently" Owners of older vehicles remained uncertain about compatibility and wanted fuel stations to specify clearly the petrol being dispensed, he said, adding that a modest drop in fuel efficiency increases .

The government also said no subsidy was extended to ethanol producers, noting that rice was sold at the fixed prices prescribed under the OMSS (Domestic) policy

India's ethanol story has largely revolved around E20 petrol, but from aviation and industry to clean cooking, the biofuel is finding new applications that could shape its next phase

The Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held that consumers could not be expected to avoid using E20 petrol when it had become the commonly available fuel at petrol pumps.

The government explains E20 petrol pricing citing higher ethanol procurement cost, but motorists still lack a transparent price build-up, a cost-per-km comparison and a retail tax concession

The reported decline is well above the government's estimated 3-5% impact of E20 petrol, prompting calls for an investigation into possible fuel adulteration or contamination

Nagpur Police have registered an FIR against several social media account holders for allegedly spreading false and defamatory content targeting Gadkari over E20 fuel

Amid concerns over the nationwide rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20), researchers at IIT Kanpur on Tuesday claimed that their studies found no significant drop in fuel efficiency and "no evidence" that E20 harms engines in either existing or older vehicles. The reported findings follow Oil Ministry's clarification last week stating that E20 can reduce mileage by up to 5 per cent in some vehicles, but the impact is outweighed by several benefits, including a lower lifecycle carbon emissions. Dhruv Raj Karana, Project Scientist of the Engine Research Laboratory in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur's Department of Mechanical Engineering, claimed that the fuel efficiency decrease is less than 5 per cent with the E20 fuel, according to the research conducted at the institute. He told PTI that the up to 5 per cent decrease could be due to factors other than fuel and that a similar result can be obtained "even if back to back tests are repeated with pure ...

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss concerns over E20 petrol, requesting that options for pure and E20 petrol be made available at fuel stations, with lower prices for ethanol-blended petrol. In a letter to the PM, Kejriwal said he wanted to explain the technical issues and the feedback he received from people related to the matter during his proposed meeting. Kejriwal said customers should have the choice to buy either pure petrol or E20 petrol at fuel stations. "If someone wants pure petrol, they should get that option and those wanting E20 should also have that choice," he said. Kejriwal said he had written to the prime minister after interacting with people and understanding their concerns regarding E20 petrol. The AAP chief also sought a reduction in E20 petrol prices, saying the blended fuel provides lower mileage compared to regular petrol. Kejriwal said the party has started an online petition for citizen

E20 petrol has sparked questions over mileage and engine performance. Here's what Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had to say about the concerns

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Petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol (E20) can reduce fuel economy by 3-5 per cent in some vehicles, the Oil Ministry said on Friday, but argued the impact is outweighed by benefits, including a higher octane rating, superior anti-knock characteristics, faster combustion, better pickup, smoother acceleration, cleaner engine operation, and lower lifecycle carbon emissions. In a detailed question-and-answer document issued to counter criticism of the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said E20 was a "cleaner, higher-quality and more efficient fuel" than E10 or pure petrol and had been rolled out only after years of scientific testing, consultations with automobile manufacturers and the expansion of domestic ethanol production. The ministry rejected concerns that the programme had been implemented too quickly, saying India's ethanol blending initiative dates back to pilot projects launched in 2001, with 5 per cent blending introduced in parts

If one-fifth of every litre of petrol is now ethanol, why hasn't E20 become cheaper? Here's the government's answer