Nitin Gadkari says petrol will be over from India in next 5 years, promotes Ethanol-blended fuel - Explained

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, while addressing a conference, said Petrol will be over in the next 5 years and emphasis should be given on ethanol fuel.

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The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, while addressing a conference today, said that Petrol will be over in the next 5 years and emphasis should be given on ethanol fuel. Gadkari said that bio-ethanol being made in Maharashtra's Vidarbha district and Green Hydrogen will be used in vehicles going forward, apart from electric vehicles, that are quickly becoming a norm in the country. However, it's the bio-ethanol blended petrol that will replace the conventional petrol in future vehicles. Nitin Gadkari has already asked manufacturers to make flex-fuel engines and replace with conventional IC engines in future vehicles. With the cabinet minister making this big announcement, we explain what is bio-ethanol blended fuel and why will it replace petrol:

What is ethanol?

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is commonly used as an alcohol and is an organic chemical compound. However, with properties like a higher octane number than gasoline and less emission, makes it a better fuel than petrol and diesel. Ethanol is being used in vehicles as a blended fuel mixed with petrol and is a popular fuel in many countries. In India, too, Ethanol blended petrol is being sold by fuel pumps and few vehicles are already Ethanol ready. 

In order to substitute India’s import of petroleum as a fuel and to provide direct benefits to our farmers, we have now advised the Automobile Manufacturers in India to start manufacturing Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) and Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV)..(1/4)

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) December 27, 2021

How much Ethanol is blended in fuel?

While there's various possibilities to mix ethanol with petrol, the popular ones are E90 or E85, meaning upto 10-15% ethanol is mixed in petrol, where the ratio of petrol defines the name of the fuel. Case in point, E90 becomes 90% petrol and 10% ethanol blended fuel. Currently Indian fuel pumps are selling E90 and E95 blended fuels in the country.

Ethanol fuel is prevelant in other parts of the world as well and countries like the US and Brazil sell upto 30% blended fuel, meaning E70-E75 is sold in these countries. The blending of fuel started at only a couple of percent, but now it is being taken towards the target of 10%.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas, earlier said that 20% ethanol blended petrol may be available at select petrol pumps in the country by April 2023. 

Advantages of ethanol blended fuel?

While zero-emission vehicles like electric and hydrogen ones are a different machinery altogether as compared to ICE vehicles and need a lot of investment, vehicles that run on ethanol-blended fuel need very less modification to the existing petrol engines.

Also, Ethanol is less expensive than petrol and is renewable source of energy. The cost of ethanol is around Rs 61 per litre and mixing it with the expensive petrol at present can bring down the price. More the ethanol, less the cost of fuel.