The Centre has ruled out the possibility of blending ethanol with diesel after tests by public sector oil marketing companies found that the addition of ethanol sharply reduces diesel's flash point, raising safety concerns during fuel storage, transport and handling.
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi informed the Rajya Sabha that oil marketing companies had evaluated different ethanol-diesel blends through their research and development centres.
The testing was carried out in collaboration with accredited laboratories and automobile manufacturers.
The tests found that ethanol-blended diesel did not meet the required diesel flash-point specifications.
“It was observed that ethanol blended diesel was not meeting diesel flash point as its flash point lowered drastically due to the presence of ethanol,” Gopi said.
A fuel's flash point is the minimum temperature at which it can produce enough vapour to ignite. A significant reduction in the flash point can therefore increase the risk of fire during fuel storage, transportation and handling.
Based on the test findings, the government has decided against pursuing ethanol blending with diesel.
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No Decision On Higher Ethanol Blend In Petrol
The government has also not taken a decision to raise ethanol blending in petrol beyond the current 20% level.
Gopi said any move towards higher ethanol blends would be considered only after detailed scientific and technical studies. Such a decision would also involve consultations with automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and research institutions.
India's Ethanol Blended Petrol programme has been rolled out in phases, with participation from NITI Aayog, automobile manufacturers, OMCs, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) and other technical institutions.
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Government Says E20 Is Safe
While the government has rejected ethanol-diesel blending, it has maintained that E20 petrol is safe for use under prescribed standards.
Laboratory studies and field trials conducted by ARAI, SIAM, Indian Oil Corporation, IIP and vehicle manufacturers have evaluated E20 across several parameters. These include engine durability, drivability, startability, corrosion resistance, material compatibility, emissions and fuel efficiency.
According to the government, the studies have not found any significant variation in the performance of older vehicles or abnormal wear and tear attributable to E20.
Gopi said E15-plus petrol has been widely used for more than three-and-a-half years, while E19-E20 blends have been in use for more than two-and-a-half years.
More than 20 crore two-wheelers and over 3 crore petrol cars are operating on these ethanol blends, the minister said. He added that there is no verified evidence of widespread engine failures or vehicle breakdowns caused by ethanol blending.
The government's position therefore remains clear: ethanol blending will continue to be used in petrol within the existing framework, but ethanol-diesel blending will not be pursued because of the fuel's flash-point limitations.
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