The Centre has rejected reports of an E-25 rollout, saying that no decision has been taken on increasing ethanol blending beyond E-20, NDTV reported citing sources.
The sources added that any decision surrounding E-25 will depend on scientific testing and technical validation, not policy speculation.
Futher, officials say that there is "absolutely no need to worry" about E-20 petrol, which has been in use for over two-and-a-half years after extensive testing.
The government's clarification comes amid a growing discourse around how the increased blending of ethanol will affect the efficiency of vehicles and fuel.
According to sources the transition to ethanol blended fuel has been made gradually as E-15 blending was done in April 2023, followed by E-19 which was introduced in April 2024, and E-20 has been in use from April 2025. Thorough testing and evaluation was conducted at each stage.
Close to 20 crore two-wheelers running on petrol and 20 lakh four-wheelers running on petrol are already using ethanol blended petrol, as per officials.
ALSO READ: Can E20 Petrol Ruin Your Car's Engine? Govt Debunks 10 Viral Myths, Defends Ethanol Blending
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, in 10 point clarification last week said, petrol that contains up to 20% ethanol is supported by scientific studies, international experience and regulatory safeguards.
Denying claims that producing one litre of ethanol uses 10,000 litres of water, the ministry in a press conference clarified, only surplus rice, cleared after meeting national food security requirements, is diverted for ethanol production.
The Ministry further said, ethanol distilleries use nearly about 3-5 litres of processed water per litre of ethanol and increasingly operate Zero Liquid Discharge systems to recycle water.
It added maize, which now accounts for more than 40% of ethanol supplied under the programme, needs significantly lower irrigation than paddy and is being promoted through higher minimum support prices.
Dismissing assertions that E20 is an untested fuel, the government said, ethanol-blended fuels have been used internationally for decades. It referred to countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Thailand, Japan and several European nations have adopted ethanol blending at different levels.
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