Government of India mulls 5% ethanol blending in diesel

In May, the average ethanol blending in petrol exceeded 15% for the first time.

According to media reports, the government is exploring a plan to blend 5% ethanol in diesel.

The government has been making great strides to reduce our crude oil imports by increasing the ethanol content in fuel. The aim is to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol within the next 2 years.

In May, the average ethanol blending in petrol exceeded 15% for the first time. This was made possible thanks to an increase in biofuel purchases. With ethanol blending in diesel, the government aims to reduce our crude oil imports further and save foreign exchange.

The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has already conducted trials of ethanol-blended diesel on BS3 and BS6 buses. The tests showed that fuel consumption was slightly lower than that of regular diesel. Further trials are expected to be undertaken by public-sector oil companies.