India's Push to Blend Petrol with Biofuel Hits Speed Bump

Use of ethanol a green move but drivers worry about engine damage, fuel efficiency

- Rohini Mohan

An Indian government programme to blend a renewable fuel into petrol has hit a speed bump, with cost-conscious drivers protesting over the potential reduction in mileage and damage to their cars.

India has been aiming to cut costly oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions since 2014 by blending petrol with ethanol, a biofuel derived from agricultural produce or organic waste that burns more cleanly than traditional petrol.

India imports 88 per cent of its crude oil, and now, with high international oil prices and geopolitical developments such as pressure from the US to stop buying discounted crude from Russia, it is keen to push forward with its ethanol initiative.

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri ecstatically declared in July that India had attained its goal of blending 20 per cent ethanol in petrol five years ahead of the original target. However, instead of rejoicing, consumers are complaining.

Vehicle owners, especially those driving older models, fear that ethanol use will reduce fuel efficiency, or mileage. In addition, many believe that the corrosive biofuel will damage older engines, which are not compatible with higher-ethanol blends, necessitating costly repairs.

Indian refineries have been gradually increasing the share of ethanol in petrol since 2014, but it is not marked as such. Consumer advocacy groups have demanded that different blends of petrol should be clearly labelled at stations as E10 (10 per cent ethanol blending) or E20 (20 per cent ethanol blending), and argue that vehicle owners must have the right to choose what they put in their cars.