Confident of meeting 20% ethanol blending target next fiscal: H S Puri

New Delhi: Oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday exuded confidence of meeting the target of supplying petrol mixed with 20 per cent ethanol by 2025, five years earlier than the previously planned roll-out in 2030.

Petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol was rolled out at select petrol pumps in 11 states and Union Territories in February as part of a programme to increase use of biofuels to cut emissions as well as dependence on foreign exchange-draining imports.

At present, 10 per cent ethanol is blended in petrol (10 per cent ethanol, 90 per cent petrol) and the government is looking to double this quantity by 2025.

"I am sure we will be able to supply 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol by next (fiscal) year," he said.

India saved as much as Rs 41,500 crore in forex outgo from 10 per cent blending besides benefiting the farmers, he said at a biofuels conference here.

Puri said India achieved blending of 10 per cent ethanol in petrol in June 2022, five months ahead of the schedule.

"We also advanced the availability of E20 blended petrol to 2025, five years from earlier planned in 2030," he said.

Use of ethanol, extracted from sugarcane as well as broken rice and other agri produce, will help the world's third largest oil consumer and importing country cut its reliance on overseas shipments. India currently is 85 per cent dependent on imports for meeting its oil needs. Also, it cuts carbon emissions.

Use of E20 leads to an estimated reduction of carbon monoxide emissions by about 50 per cent in two-wheelers and about 30 per cent in four-wheelers compared to E0 (neat petrol). Hydrocarbon emissions are estimated to reduce by 20 per cent in both two-wheelers and passenger cars.

India spent USD 120.7 billion on import of crude oil in 2021-22 fiscal (April 2021 to March 2022). During first 11 months of 2022-23 fiscal it spent USD 211.6 billion on crude oil imports.

As much as 440 crore litre of ethanol was blended in petrol during the supply year ending November 30, 2022. For the next year, 540 crore litres procurement is being targeted with an eye to start larger volumes of blending.

The target of achieving average 10 per cent blending was achieved in June, 2022, much ahead of the target date of November, 2022. Encouraged by the success, the government advanced the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol from earlier 2030 to 2025.