Now Reading: Ethanol-blended diesel ruled out after flash-point test fails
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Ethanol-blended diesel ruled out after flash-point test fails
The Centre has dropped plans to blend ethanol with diesel after public-sector oil marketing companies found the mix sharply lowers diesel's flash point, raising fire risks during storage and transport. Minister of…
The Story in Brief
The Centre has dropped plans to blend ethanol with diesel after public-sector oil marketing companies found the mix sharply lowers diesel's flash point, raising fire risks during storage and transport. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi told Parliament on August 10 that scientific tests with accredited labs and automakers showed ethanol-blended diesel failed safety specifications. Isobutanol is not being blended with diesel either.
The government has not decided to raise ethanol blending in petrol beyond the existing 20% target. Separately, it is examining ethanol as a cooking fuel to cut liquefied petroleum gas imports, with the LPG Equipment Research Centre developing clean-cooking options. The Federal reports the government is also weighing a push beyond E20 after experts flagged risks to food security and water. State-run OMCs allocated 10.485 billion litres of ethanol for 2025-26.
The Indian Opinion
The flash-point failure is a technical setback, but it should not be spun as a reason to scrap ethanol blending in petrol. The E20 policy already faces credible criticism from former officials like Raghunandan and Chand about water use and maize imports. What the government must decide is whether ethanol's climate and energy-security gains are worth the agricultural costs, and whether consumers should pay less for lower fuel efficiency. Watch for a price adjustment on E20 or a shift in cropping patterns.
Sources (4): ndtvprofit.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com, thefederal.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
