20 percent Ethanol blending in petrol has a lot of upsides along with various downsides. Govt of India will start this process from April 2023…
In an attempt to contain the fuel import bills, Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved mixing 20% Ethanol in 80% of concentrated petrol. The notice from the Union government follows up its draft from the fall of 2020 regarding approving vehicles that can run purely on Ethanol or Ethanol-petrol combo.
Before the ruling, makers were legally allowed to mix upto 10% of Ethanol in petrol. However, the actual percentage of E10 being mixed was substantially less than 6%. The reason being the shortage of Ethanol availability in the country.
Ethanol blending will also help in reducing pollution. Putting together Ethanol and Petrol in proportions of 20:80 will neutralize carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons which are the prime elements of emission from the vehicles.
If a vehicle is compatible with running on a combination of ethanol and petrol, then its manufacturer has to specify the exact level of both fuels. For that, the respective automaker can put on a sticker on the concerned vehicle.
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Economic Advantage of Using Ethanol mixed Petrol
Back in early 2021, Union petroleum Secretary Tarun Kapoor commented that blending Ethanol with petrol can help the nation to annually save a whopping INR 1 lakh crore. Additionally, India can save on spending in foreign exchange for importing fuel from abroad. The amount saved can be used in creating economic opportunities for the public.
Government has plans to blend 20% Ethanol with Petrol by 2025. Earlier the timeline was set to 2030. This process (of 20% Ethanol blending) will start from 1st April 2023 and by 2025 all petrol makers are expected to abide by it.
Due to the rising vehicular pollution in India, the government is taking fast measures to promote environment-friendly fuel which also contributes to the country’s economy. However, apart from the upsides, there are a lot of issues associated with it.
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Currently, in India TVS is the only brand to sell the Apache RTR 200 E100 bike that can run on Ethanol as well as on a mix of Ethanol (20%) and Petrol (80%).
The Indian government is also pushing people to switch to electric mobility. Recently, it has decided to waive off registration fees for electric vehicles in India.
Source: Hindustan Times
