Now Reading: Ethanol-blended diesel fails flash-point test, says govt
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Ethanol-blended diesel fails flash-point test, says govt
The government on Monday said ethanol-blended diesel did not meet safety specifications because adding ethanol sharply lowered the fuel's flash point. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi told…
The Story in Brief
The government on Monday said ethanol-blended diesel did not meet safety specifications because adding ethanol sharply lowered the fuel's flash point. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi told Parliament that public-sector oil marketing companies tested the blend through their R&D centres, but it failed the required diesel flash-point standard.
Gopi also said there are no plans to raise ethanol blending in petrol beyond the current 20% target, and no isobutanol is being blended into diesel. The government is, however, exploring ethanol as a cooking fuel, which it says could cut LPG import dependence and utilise surplus ethanol production capacity.
The Indian Opinion
The flash-point failure is a reminder that ethanol blending is not a one-size-fits-all fix. The government's push for ethanol is understandable, but rushing diesel blending would risk safety and vehicle performance. The decision to hold at E20 and wait for scientific consensus is the right call. Watch whether the government funds research to stabilise diesel flash point, or quietly abandons the idea. That will show whether the target is real decarbonisation or just political optics.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
