India has advanced the target for increasing ethanol blending levels: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India has advanced the target for increasing the ethanol blending levels from 2030 to 2025. He said this while delivering the keynote address at the CERAWeek 2021 through video conference. Modi was also awarded the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award.

"There is growing acceptance of ethanol across India. Based on people's response, we have decided to advance the target of 20 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol to 2025 from the earlier target of 2030." Modi said that 5,000 compressed biogas plants will be set up by 2024 with a production target of 15 million tonnes.

The PM also talked about the growing share of non-fossil sources in India's installed capacity of electricity, rising to 38 per cent, and about the adoption of Bharat VI emission norms — equivalent to Euro6 fuel.

He said India is working to increase the share of natural gas from the current 6 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030. LNG is being promoted as a fuel. He lauded the recently launched National Hydrogen Mission and PM KUSUM schemes.