India Achieves E20 Ethanol Target 5 Years Ahead Of Schedule: Minister Puri

New Delhi, Aug 11 (KNN) Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday reiterated that India’s ethanol adoption programme is ‘unstoppable’, highlighting key milestones in blending ethanol with petrol. He made the remarks during a Fireside Chat at the Pioneer Biofuels 360 Summit.

The Minister noted that ethanol blending gained significant momentum after 2014, when the rate stood at 1.53 percent. 

India reached 10 percent blending in 2022—five months ahead of schedule—and has achieved the 20 percent target (E20) in the current Ethanol Supply Year, five years before the revised 2025 deadline. 

He attributed the progress to policy measures such as assured pricing, diversification of feedstocks, and expanded distillation capacity.

Puri rejected concerns about technical issues with E20, stating that no engine failures or breakdowns have been reported in the past 10 months since it became the base fuel. 

Drawing a parallel with Brazil’s long-standing use of E27 fuel, he said India’s transition is backed by policy support, industry readiness, and consumer acceptance.

He outlined E20’s benefits, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, enhanced engine performance, and foreign exchange savings exceeding Rs 1.4 lakh crore. 

The Minister pointed to new 2G ethanol refineries in Panipat and Numaligarh that convert crop residue and bamboo into ethanol, offering environmental and economic gains for farmers. 

He also highlighted a rise in maize-based ethanol production fr0m zero in 2021–22 to 42 percent this year.

On flex-fuel vehicles, Puri said Indian automakers have begun producing E85-compatible prototypes and consultations are underway with industry stakeholders to gradually adopt higher blends such as E25, E27, and E30.

The Minister emphasised ethanol’s role in boosting farmer incomes, reducing crude imports, and creating green jobs. 

Over the past 11 years, ethanol procurement has generated Rs 1.21 lakh crore for farmers, cut crude imports by 238.68 lakh metric tonnes, and saved Rs 1.40 lakh crore in foreign exchange.

Discussing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Puri said the government aims for a 1 percent blending mandate for international flights by 2027, rising to 2 percent by 2028. 

Projects such as Indian Oil’s Panipat refinery, which produces SAF fr0m used cooking oil, illustrate India’s commitment to scaling low-carbon aviation fuels.

(KNN Bureau)