News Excerpts:

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has said that the entire country will have petrol pumps selling 20 percent ethanol-blended petrol, E20 petrol, by 2025.

More About the News:

• India has diversified the import basket from 27 countries in 2006-07 to 39 in 2023, with the increasing sourcing of crude from Russia and other non-Gulf markets for energy security.

What is Ethanol Blending?

• Ethyl alcohol or Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a biofuel that is naturally made by fermenting sugar. 
• While it is mostly derived by extracting sugar from sugarcane and the starches of grains such as corn, sorghum, and barley.
• As part of its carbon reduction India has launched the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) program to mix this biofuel with petrol to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.
• The 10 percent ethanol blending in petrol target was achieved in June 2022
• The Indian Prime Minister rolled out 20% ethanol-blended petrol in select gas stations in 2023.

India plans to start using 20% ethanol blended petrol (E20) from 2025.

An ethanol blended petrol helps on two counts. 

• One, ethanol is a biofuel and so it is good for the environment. 
• Grain-based ethanol cuts greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
• Ethanol delivers significant GHG savings compared to the fossil fuels it replaces.
• Second, it helps India as a country to cut down on its crude oil import bills.