NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over E20 petrol, govt Monday said no decision had been taken to increase ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20%.Govt also informed Parliament there was no proposal to make lower-blended fuel or pure petrol available at select retail outlets. It also ruled out any immediate move to introduce ethanol blending in diesel, saying any future decision would depend on evaluation and consultations with stakeholders. “Any move to increase blending in petrol beyond 20% would be based on scientific and technical studies and consultations with automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and research institutions,” minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Suresh Gopi told Rajya Sabha.He added govt’s policy was to progressively transition towards cleaner, technologically superior and environmentally sustainable fuels. India achieved 20% ethanol blending in petrol last year, and E20 is now the standard petrol variant across the country. However, there have been claims of reduced mileage and increased engine wear and tear in older vehicles that are not E20-compliant.Gopi said the transition to E20 had been “phased, calibrated and evidence-based”, with blending increasing from 1.5% in 2013-14 to 20% in 2025-26 after scientific evaluation and consultations. Govt also maintained that it had not received any “widespread or substantiated” complaints regarding ethanol-blended petrol affecting vehicle performance and that many such claims circulating on social media were found to be “misleading or unsupported by technical evidence”.“Had E20 caused systemic damage to vehicle performance or longevity, it would have been reflected in large-scale warranty claims and service records,” the minister said, adding that any reduction in fuel economy in certain E10-designed vehicles was generally limited to about 3-5%.
