India is on track to achieve its 20% ethanol blending with petrol target before October 2025, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Today India is blending 19% ethanol. It has saved foreign exhange and substantial farmer revenue has also been generated. This has also significantly cut Co2 emissions. We are on our way to acheive 20% ethanol mandate before October 2025," Modi said while addressing the India Energy Week event in Delhi on Tuesday.
The government had earlier committed to 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2030, but later preponed the target to 2025-26. Ethanol blending in petrol currently stands at around 19%.
India is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for road transport. India is the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil, and imports more than 85% of its crude oil requirements.
India imported 232.5 million tonnes of crude oil, which is refined into fuels like petrol and diesel, during the previous financial year and spent $132.4 billion for the imports in the year.
Biofuels are considered essential to India's journey towards carbon neutrality by 2070, offering a significant reduction in emissions from the transportation and aviation industries.
Ethanol, a primary biofuel, is produced either through the fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes like ethylene hydration.
While ethanol might degrade certain rubber components and plugs in a vehicle due to its hygroscopic nature, the impact of a 20% ethanol blend in petrol is likely to be negligible.
Vehicles powered by petrol can seamlessly operate on 10% ethanol blends but require minor adjustments for 20% ethanol content. Most petrol-powered vehicles that are being produced today are compatible with the 20% blend.
The government is pitching ethanol blending to reduce the dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve energy. The consumption of ethanol by oil marketing industries also boosts the incomes of sugarcane and maze farmers.
The government is considering developing a roadmap for ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20%.