World Environment Day: PM Modi to interact with farmers on ethanol, biogas use

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New Delhi: On the World Environment Day on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an event via video-conferencing. To commemorate the day, the government is releasing E-20 notification directing oil companies to sell ethanol-blended petrol with percentage of ethanol up to 20 from April 1, 2023; and BIS specifications for higher ethanol blends E12 & E15. 

PM Modi will also release the 'Report of the Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025', the Prime Minister's Office said. These efforts will facilitate setting up of additional ethanol distillation capacities and provide timelines for making blended fuel available across the country.

It will help increase the consumption of ethanol in the ethanol-producing states and the adjoining regions, before the 2025. PM Modi will also launch a pilot project of E 100 dispensing stations at three locations in Pune, and interact with farmers to gain insight on their firsthand experience, as enablers under the Ethanol Blended Petrol and Compressed BioGas Programmes, the PMO said.

The event is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The theme for this year's event is 'promotion of biofuels for better environment'.