New Delhi, Aug 11: Even as controversy rages over mixing of 20% Ethanol in Petrol, the government today said it intends to introduce it as cooking fuel.
The LPG Equipment Research Centre (LERC), a joint undertaking of Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, is working with public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) to develop ethanol-based cooking solutions.
This was stated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), which said the government is examining ethanol as a cooking fuel to reduce dependence on imported LPG and expand cleaner alternatives for household cooking,
The move could also provide an outlet for surplus ethanol production capacity in the country, the ministry said in Parliament.
The initiative forms part of the government’s efforts to broaden the availability of alternative cooking fuels while reducing reliance on conventional fossil fuel-based options.
E20 in Petrol
A huge controversy is already raging over 20% mix of Ethanol in Petrol, with many motorists complaining that their vehicles are suffering damage and the mileage is reducing.
The widespread outrage has put a question mark on the government’s intention to increase the percentage of Ethanol in Petrol up to 85%.
In Parliament today, the MoPNG said the government has not taken any decision to increase the ethanol blending level in petrol beyond 20 per cent.
Ethanol in Diesel
The ministry also said blending ethanol with diesel had not proved viable.
Trials found that ethanol-blended diesel failed to meet the prescribed flash point requirement, with the flash point falling substantially because of the presence of ethanol.
The ministry also described reports suggesting that India was importing or preparing to import substantial quantities of US ethanol for blending as “baseless and factually incorrect”.
It said ethanol required under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol Programme (EBP) is sourced entirely from domestic producers, with no imports from the US being used for fuel blending.
The ministry further said India had made no concession or commitment on ethanol imports for fuel blending during trade discussions with the US. The country’s ethanol procurement and blending policy continues to be determined by domestic requirements, it said. (BVI)
