The federal government has strongly backed E20 gasoline, which is made up of 20% ethanol and gasoline, and has tried to refute what it deems “baseless fear mongering” about the fuel. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas posted on X about an NITI Aayog study on the life cycle emissions of ethanol. They said that E20 not only gives improved acceleration and riding quality, but it also helps farmers a lot in the country.
This clarification comes after Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s recent statements, in which he publicly questioned claims of lower mileage and suggested that the petroleum lobby might be “manipulating” such arguments. “You show me one vehicle anywhere in the world that had problems because of E20 petrol!” he said with confidence.
The Centre has identified numerous important benefits of the E20 program:
More Money for Farmers: The government said that the Ethanol Blending program sends money that was previously spent on importing crude oil back to Indian farmers. These farmers are now “Urjadaatas” (energy suppliers) as well as “Annadatas” (food providers). The scheme is anticipated to pay farmers about ₹40,000 crore this year and save about ₹43,000 crore in foreign currency.
Less Carbon Emissions: The Ministry said that E20 petrol cuts carbon emissions by about 30% compared to E10 fuel. The NITI Aayog study also found that ethanol made from sugarcane and maize releases 65% and 50% less greenhouse gases than petrol, respectively.
Better Quality fuel: The government said that adding E20 to ordinary fuel has raised its Research Octane Number (RON) from 88 to 95. This makes it less likely to knock and improves its overall performance in modern, high-compression engines.
The Ministry said that predictions of a “drastic” drop in mileage were “misplaced” because fuel economy is affected by several things, including as how you drive and how well you take care of your car. It further said that talks with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) have indicated that any loss in efficiency in E10-compatible vehicles is quite small. Many cars have been able to use E20 since 2009, and for these cars, a loss in mileage is not a problem.
Setbacks to Energy Transition: The administration said that going back to E0 petrol would mean abandoning the hard-won progress the country has made in controlling pollution and making the switch to cleaner energy. The plan for E20 has been known since 2021, giving the auto sector more than four years to change its technologies and supply systems.
International Precedent and Safety: The government pointed to Brazil’s long-term usage of E27 fuel without any problems, saying that major car companies like Toyota and Honda do business in that country. The Centre also said that BIS standards show that E20 is safe.
Older Vehicles and Insurance: The government made it clear that E20 doesn’t influence most vehicle parameters, but some older vehicles may need to have their rubber parts and gaskets replaced sooner than usual. This is a cost-effective technique that can be done during routine servicing. It also blasted the story that insurance companies won’t cover losses from E20, calling it “totally baseless” and a “deliberate misinterpretation” of a company’s tweet.
Lastly, the Petroleum Ministry talked about worries about moving beyond E20. They said that any such change would need “careful calibration” and a lot of talking to everyone involved, which is still going on and hasn’t been finished yet.