Not a single case of engine failure or breakdown due to ethanol blending: Hardeep Puri

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) There has not been a single case of engine failure or breakdown reported since ethanol 20 (E20) became a base fuel over the last 10 months, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has said.

Citing Brazil’s example, he said the country has run on E27 for years without any issues.

Some lobbies with vested interests are actively attempting to create confusion and derail India’s ethanol revolution. However, such efforts will not succeed, he added.

The E20 transition is already firmly underway, backed by strong policy support, industry readiness, and public acceptance — and there is no turning back, the minister emphasised on the sidelines of the ‘Pioneer Biofuels 360 Summit’ here.

Elaborating on the benefits of E20, Puri said it results into reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, improves air quality, enhances engine performance, and has already led to over Rs 1.4 lakh crore in foreign exchange savings.

He pointed out that 2G ethanol refineries in Panipat and Numaligarh are converting agricultural residues like parali and bamboo into ethanol, providing a win-win solution for clean fuel, pollution control, and farmer income.

He further highlighted the remarkable growth of maize-based ethanol — from 0 per cent in 2021–22 to 42 per cent this year — calling it a transformational shift.

Responding to a question on the success of the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme, the minister highlighted that ethanol blending gained serious momentum only after 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office.

In 2014, ethanol blending was merely 1.53 per cent. By 2022, India achieved 10 per cent blending, five months ahead of schedule.

The original target of 20 per cent blending (E20) by 2030 was advanced to 2025 and has already been achieved in the current Ethanol Supply Year (ESY).

This success, the minister noted, was made possible through sustained policy reforms such as guaranteed pricing for ethanol, allowing multiple feedstocks, and rapidly expanding distillation capacity across the country.

On the issue of Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), Puri said that the Indian automobile industry has already demonstrated its capability. Indian OEMs have begun rolling out prototypes for E85-compatible vehicles.

--IANS

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