More Ethanol In Petrol Needs Pre-Research And Consumer Awareness

By Nava Thakuria, New Age Islam 1 September2025 As the Union government in New Delhi continues pushing for more ethanol blended to the vehicle fuel (petrol), a group of qualified engineers emphasized on pre-research and more awareness among the subscribers about its implications on personal saving in the backdrop of national causes. The engineer’s forum made it public after observing New Delhi’s target to adopt 30 percent ethanol blending with petrol by 2030, where the 20 % ethanol mix (read Ethanol 20 or E20) becomes almost a norm across India. Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is commonly used as a biofuel for internal combustion engines. Composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, the ethanol (C2H5OH) can be described as a colourless and flammable liquid, which burns cleaner than many hydrocarbon-based fuels. Nontoxic and biodegradable, ethanol has a characteristic odour and taste. The renewable fuel can be produced using fermentation processes from crops like sugarcane, maize, corn, rice, and other agricultural biomass. Now it’s mixed with conventional petrol (gasoline) to prepare a flex-fuel for vehicle uses. India started blending ethanol with petrol in 2000 with E5, which later enhanced up to E10 by 2022. By 2025, the country achieved the target of promoting E20, ahead of the original target year 2030. In fact, the E20 fuel mission was launched in April 2023 following the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), particulate matter (PM), etc and finally improve the goal for national energy security. The petroleum & natural gas ministry claimed that from 2014 to 2024, over Rs 1 lakh crore have been saved in foreign exchange by substituting imported crude oil with ethanol-blended fuel. This year, the forex savings are expected to reach Rs. 43,000 crores. With the E24 initiative, Indian farmers have also been benefited by over Rs 1.20 lakh crore (from 2014–15 ethanol supply year till July 2025), where they have received nearly Rs 40,000 crore through ethanol-linked crop procurement in 2024–25. It also helped reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by nearly 725 lakh metric ton in the air. The ethanol production in the country (for blending with petrol) increased from 38 crore litres in 2013-14 to over 660 crore litres by middle of this year. Today, India becomes the 4th largest producer of ethanol across the world. A ministry statement recently stated that the ethanol, being lower in energy density than petrol, may result in a marginal decrease in mileage, estimated at 1-2% for four-wheelers designed for E10 and calibrated for E20, and around 3-6% in others. This marginal drop in efficiency can be further minimised through improved engine tuning and use of E20-compatible materials, which leading automobile manufacturers have already adopted. It also argued that the mileage of vehicles is influenced by a variety of factors (like efficient driving, regular maintenance, wheel (tyre) pressure & alignment, load, etc) beyond just fuel type. Moreover, the fuel efficiency drop in E10 vehicles remains marginal and a section of automobile manufacturers launched E20 compatible vehicles as early as 2009. Even after supporting the government’s initiatives to reduce the dependence of fossil fuel (thus spending a huge volume of money for its import and also polluting the environment) and enhancing the rural economy with ethanol production, the forum demands a clear strategy for the vehicle owners. Comprising graduates who passed out from Assam Engineering College (under Gauhati University), the forum argues that the modern vehicles (read manufactured after 2022) can consume E10 with no visible problems. However, the old vehicles may need a one-time repair of the engine fuel tank, carburetor, gaskets and other metals in the system, if E20 or with more ethanol is regularly used. Most of the petrol-run vehicles in India are compatible (calibrated) for E10 fuel. Hence a countrywide study becomes necessary to assess any long-term impact on those vehicles, now using E20 petrol, both on performance and sustainability. The question that arises, if the automobile engines designed for E0, E5 or E10 were not calibrated for higher ethanol content, how would those vehicles consume E20 (or more ethanol intakes) for long? Most of the owners of vehicles, which are non-compatible with E20 standards, have no idea how much ethanol is being pumped with petrol at the fuel stations. Will it be possible to make available ethanol-free (or with lesser ethanol intakes like E5 or E10) petrol along with E20 at over 90,000 petrol pumps (fuel stations) across the country so that the customers (drivers of older vehicles) have the choice, the forum questioned. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/ethanol-petrol-pre-research-awareness/d/136670 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism