New Fuel Rules: Indications of entry of E100 fuel in India, Modi government released new draft

New Fuel Rules: Taking a step towards making major changes in the fuel policy, the Government of India has issued a draft notification to amend the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. The objective of this proposal is to define new fuel categories and promote ethanol blending in the country, so as to reduce dependence on imported fuel and promote clean energy.

What are the proposed changes?

• Many important changes have been suggested in the draft issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The category of hydrogen fuel has been changed from “Hydrogen + CN” to “Hydrogen + CNG”. At the same time, the standards of petrol have been updated from E10/E to E10/E20, which is in line with the implementation of E20 fuel in the country.
• Apart from this, high ethanol fuels like E85 and E100 have also been included in the rules. The biodiesel category has been increased from B10 to B100. Besides, a proposal has also been made to standardize emission testing and technical rules. There is also talk of increasing the maximum weight limit in some vehicle categories from 3000 kg to 3500 kg.

Preparation of high ethanol fuel
The move is not to immediately implement E85 or E100, but to set rules for testing and evaluating them. The government is working with auto companies and oil marketing companies to assess the preparedness for flex-fuel vehicles and necessary infrastructure.

International examples and the way forward
E100 is already in use in countries like Brazil, while E85 is available in limited quantities in the US. India is currently focusing on E20, but this draft is considered an important step towards adopting high ethanol fuel in the future. This draft will be open for public suggestions for 30 days, after which a final decision will be taken.