One of the most discussed topics on the internet lately is ethanol and its blending with fuel. We have come across many videos on social media where people are seen blaming ethanol-blended fuel for issues in their vehicles. As we all know, E20 fuel is currently being dispensed at petrol pumps across the country. Now, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that the E20 blending programme is an ongoing experiment and that the results of this exercise will only become clear by next year.
Attorney General R. Venkataramani made this remark in court while arguing a petition filed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), which challenged a Karnataka High Court order concerning ethanol allocation for the 2025–26 supply year.
Addressing the court, Venkataramani said, “Twenty per cent ethanol blending is something that the government is experimenting with. By next year, we will have results.”
After the hearing, the Attorney General clarified that the remarks he made in court should not be misinterpreted as a shift in the government’s ethanol-blending policy. He told the media that the decision to blend 20 per cent ethanol in petrol remains unchanged. However, the quantity of ethanol supplied to oil marketing companies could vary depending on demand and other operational factors.
India achieved its E20 target well ahead of schedule. The nationwide rollout of E20 took place last year, almost five years ahead of the original timeline. The government is now working on the next phase of the programme, where it aims to increase the ethanol blend in fuel to 30 per cent by 2030. Ethanol blending has been promoted by the government as an alternative solution to reduce dependence on imported crude oil while also improving farmers’ incomes.
The statement from the Attorney General comes at a time when multiple videos are circulating across social media platforms, with customers complaining about issues they claim are caused by ethanol-blended fuel. The government has also taken note of these videos and claims and has come forward with a strong clarification regarding the growing number of anti-E20 fuel posts and videos online.
According to a recent statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), misleading and unsubstantiated claims regarding Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) are being shared online with the intention of creating confusion among the public. The ministry also stated that many old images and videos are being recirculated to create unnecessary fear regarding ethanol-blended fuel.
In a statement issued on June 24, the ministry said concerns about E20 fuel invalidating vehicle insurance policies had been examined in consultation with stakeholders and were found to be incorrect.
For those who are still unaware, ethanol was introduced as an alternative biofuel. It is considered one of the most promising renewable and environmentally friendly fuels. It is produced from plant-based sources and agricultural by-products such as corn and sugarcane.
One important characteristic of ethanol is that it is hygroscopic. What does that mean? It means that ethanol readily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. This hygroscopic nature can lead to various issues, particularly in older vehicles that were not designed to handle higher ethanol blends.
Comments are closed.