Ethanol-blended Fuel

BPCL says E20 petrol meets quality standards, clarifies viral test image

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) on Friday sought to dispel concerns over the ethanol content of E20 petrol, saying a photograph circulating on social media from a fuel-quality demonstration in Karnataka was captured before the testing process had been completed and did not represent the final test result. Clarifying the controversy, the state-owned oil marketing company in a statement said the image showed an intermediate stage of an ethanol separation test, in which the mixture of petrol and water initially turns hazy or milky before the two layers separate completely. The photograph was inadvertently shared before the separation process was complete, following which the officer concerned promptly removed the post to prevent misinterpretation, BPCL said. The sample tested was found to be within prescribed specifications, it added. The clarification comes amid public scrutiny of E20 petrol, which contains 20 per cent ethanol blended with petrol, over concerns about fuel ...

Centre counters Karnataka's E20 claims, says samples meet quality standards

The government on Saturday defended the 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol programme, saying tests of 893 samples collected across 27 states and Union Territories, including 56 in Karnataka, found them compliant with prescribed quality standards, as state-run oil companies challenged the Karnataka government's claims of excessive ethanol content in fuel sold at some retail outlets. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, in a statement, said Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) had found ethanol content in all 893 samples within the prescribed 19-21 per cent range under the Bureau of Indian Standards' IS 17021 specification. The 56 samples tested in Karnataka, covering different locations and all three oil marketing companies (OMCs), recorded ethanol content of 19-20 per cent, averaging 19.30 per cent, the ministry said. The findings directly contradict a recent press release by Karnataka's Department of Food

India puts food before fuel as El Nino dents ethanol blending target

The E20 initiative has saved nearly ₹2 trillion ($21.1 billion) in oil import costs since Modi govt came to power in 2014, according to government data

No intention to increase ethanol blending in fuel beyond 20%: Hardeep Puri

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said the Centre has no immediate plan to increase the ethanol blending in petrol beyond the current 20 per cent. During an interaction at the inauguration of the 29th Energy Technology and Innovation Meet in South Goa, Puri also claimed that misinformation was being spread about biofuels. Misinformation about E20 (20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol) was a "contrived narrative," he said. "In so far biofuels are concerned, yes, the 20 per cent (of ethanol blending) was the target, and there is no desire, just now, to increase by more than 20 per cent," he said to a question on discussions around E20 fuel, adding that misinformation was being spread about the issue. The government has been promoting ethanol-blended petrol as part of its strategy to reduce dependence on imported crude oil, one of the biggest contributors to its current account deficit. The country has already rolled out E20 fuel, containing 20 pe

Ethanol blending does not damage vehicles, diversifies agri sector: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday debunked claims that blending ethanol with petrol was damaging motor vehicles, asserting that it facilitated diversification of the agriculture sector. Addressing the inaugural session of the 'Bihar Investor Summit 2026: The Emerging Investment Destination of India', Gadkari said that since 2022, 4 crore four-wheelers and 20 crore two-wheelers have been running on petrol mixed with ethanol. "I challenge anybody to come up with the complaint that his or her vehicle has suffered damage on this account. Of course, those with vested interests may have some other story to tell," said Gadkari, who holds portfolios of Road Transport and Highways. "We must understand that the decision to blend ethanol with petrol was taken with a view to diversification of agriculture towards energy and power sectors... Our farmers shall no longer remain 'anna data' (food producers) but also become 'urja data' (energy producers)," he added. Gadkari claimed all leadi

Govt should adopt flexible approach to ethanol-blending programme: ICRIER

The government should be flexible with its Ethanol Blended Petrol programme, maintaining the E20 target as a long-term goal while allowing for a temporary reduction to E15 when domestic ethanol availability is insufficient, according to a research paper from ICRIER. The paper, titled Food vs Fuel: Recalibrating India's Ethanol Blending Strategy, said the choice between maintaining E20, importing ethanol and temporarily reducing blending should ultimately depend on their relative economic costs under prevailing conditions. "Such a mechanism would allow the programme to respond to temporary agricultural shocks without compromising the longer-term objective, the paper co-authored by agricultural economist Ashok Gulati said. India has rapidly expanded its Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme. Ethanol is produced from agricultural commodities such as sugarcane, maize and surplus rice. "The final safeguard should be flexibility in the blending rate itself. "The 20 per cent target can

Can India sell E10 alongside E20? The logistics challenge explained

As E20 becomes the nationwide petrol blend, the question is whether India's existing fuel network can accommodate E10 alongside it. Here's what experts have to say

CEA calls for E10 petrol option alongside E20 amid consumer concerns

E20 - petrol with 20% ethanol blended in it - was rolled out last year and since April 1, it has been the only fuel available for sale ‌at gas stations across the country

Siam's E20 U-turn deepens debate over fuel quality and vehicle safety

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

Siam withdraws letter flagging concern over contamination of E20 fuel

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 ...

Police stops Kejriwal, AAP leaders' march to PM residence over E20 fuel

Delhi Police on Tuesday stopped AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders from marching towards the Prime Minister's residence with around 100 people to submit over 2.30 lakh petitions against E20 petrol, prompting them to stage a protest on Firoz Shah Road. Kejriwal, along with former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, AAP leader Jasmine Shah and other party leaders, sat on the road after being stopped by the police. The AAP had begun the march with around 100 people to submit the petitions, collected from people across the country, against the government's policy of promoting E20 petrol, alleging that the ethanol-blended fuel was adversely affecting vehicle owners. Addressing supporters before the march, Kejriwal said the party was carrying more than 2.30 lakh petitions signed by people from across the country and urged the government to listen to the concerns of crores of vehicle owners. "We are going to the Prime Minister's residence with over 2.30

Congress workers detained during protest over E20 fuel near Gadkari's home

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 ...

Kejriwal demands choice between E20, pure petrol; announces march on Aug 4

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday demanded the government give the option to choose between pure petrol and E20 at fuel pumps and announced a march to the prime minister's residence on August 4 to submit petitions. Addressing a town hall style meeting on E20 fuel at the Constitution Club of India here, Kejriwal said he would collect petitions at noon on Monday and lead a march to Narendra Modi's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg with around 100 people. Kejriwal demanded that consumers be allowed to choose between E20 and regular petrol at fuel stations, and demanded lower prices for E20 mixed petrol, and a cut in petrol prices. The former Delhi chief minister also urged the government to make public the report that it cited to claim that E20 does not damage vehicles. "The Centre says studies have been conducted and E20 does not harm vehicles. I want them to share that report," he said. People from across states attended the event and shared their ...

Best of BS Opinion: Does the world need an international anti-ecocide law?

Today's opinions examine environmental destruction in war, the strategic race for frontier AI and the lessons India can draw from Brazil's ethanol transition.

Why E20 isn't cheaper despite containing more ethanol? Govt explains

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

E20 fuel: How Brazil made ethanol blending work and what India can learn | E25 fuel | Petrol

India has already achieved 20% ethanol blending and is now looking beyond E20. But as debates over mileage, vehicle compatibility and consumer concerns continue, Brazil's decades-long biofuel journey

Best of BS Opinion: India's ethanol blending plans need better design

Today's opinions examine India's ethanol-blending policy, urban employment trends, MGNREGA reforms, energy security after the Strait of Hormuz disruptions, and Project Cheetah

53% petrol vehicle owners fault govt's handling of E20 rollout: Survey

A LocalCircles survey says 66 per cent of pre-2023 petrol vehicle owners reported a mileage drop of more than 10 per cent, while 31 per cent want the option to return to E0 or E10 fuel

Industry leaders back E20 rollout, say years of testing found no concerns

Industry experts defended India's E20 rollout, saying the ethanol blending programme followed years of testing and consultations, with no major concerns found by automakers and research bodies

Using E20 petrol in old vehicles? Maintenance costs may rise up to ₹10,000

India's ethanol shift promises lower imports and support for farmers, but older vehicles and the informal repair network may carry the first consumer-level costs in coming years