New Delhi, July 10: Petrol blended with 20% ethanol (E20) can reduce fuel economy by 3-5% in some vehicles, but the impact is outweighed by benefits such as cleaner combustion, higher octane rating, better anti-knock characteristics, smoother acceleration and lower lifecycle carbon emissions, the Oil Ministry said on Friday.
In a detailed question-and-answer document issued to counter criticism of the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said E20 was a "cleaner, higher-quality and more efficient fuel" than E10 or pure petrol.
Mileage Versus Long-Term Gains
The ministry said E20 was introduced after scientific testing, consultations with automobile manufacturers and expansion of domestic ethanol production. It said the fuel underwent extensive testing covering engine durability, fuel systems, material compatibility, corrosion resistance, drivability and emissions before its nationwide rollout.
Citing feedback from automobile manufacturers, including Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp, the ministry said they had not reported E20-related corrosion, abnormal wear or component-life damage in vehicles serviced under real-world conditions, PTI reports.
The ministry also rejected demands for petrol pumps to offer multiple fuel grades such as pure petrol, E10 and E20. It said maintaining parallel nationwide supply chains would increase logistics costs and complicate fuel distribution across India's network of more than 100,000 retail outlets.
Energy Security Focus
On pricing, the ministry said E20 was not necessarily cheaper than conventional petrol as ethanol procurement prices were fixed at remunerative levels to support farmers and could exceed the cost of petrol when international crude prices were low.
The ministry said the objective of the programme was not to reduce pump prices but to cut India's dependence on imported crude, improve price stability and strengthen energy security.
According to the ministry, the ethanol blending programme has saved more than Rs 1.97 lakh crore in foreign exchange, displaced nearly 316 lakh tonnes of crude oil imports, reduced around 952 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and transferred over Rs 1.66 lakh crore to farmers since the 2014-15 ethanol supply year.
While the mileage impact remains a concern for some vehicle owners, the government has maintained that the wider benefits of E20, including cleaner engine operation and reduced dependence on imported fuel, outweigh the drawbacks.
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The ministry urged consumers not to be influenced by misinformation regarding E20, saying the fuel had been validated by vehicle manufacturers, testing agencies, oil marketing companies and regulators before its nationwide adoption.
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