New Delhi : The government is exploring a plan to introduce a 5% ethanol blend in diesel (ED-5) as it moves closer to achieving its goal of 20% ethanol blending in petrol within the next two years, reports Times of India.
According to media report, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) convened a meeting last week with all relevant ministries to discuss this new proposal. Ethanol blending with petrol reached 15.9% in June, marking significant progress toward the government’s goal. Report also indicated that the government is laying the groundwork for ethanol blending in diesel.
“Although blending ethanol with diesel will require an increase in the production of this green fuel, it offers environmental benefits and helps reduce crude oil imports, saving foreign exchange,” said an official.
As per media report, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) conducted a trial run in 2018-19. The trial, which tested BS-III and BS-IV buses for 500 hours, aimed to assess vehicle performance, emissions, and durability. The results showed no major failures, though fuel consumption was slightly lower than that of normal diesel.
However, ethanol-blended diesel has not yet been tested on BS-VI vehicles. One of the state-owned oil companies is expected to carry out a trial of this fuel on a heavy-duty vehicle to evaluate its performance.
Recently, in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that the blending of ethanol with diesel is still in the experimental phase. He noted that initial tests revealed the formation of deposits in fuel tanks and other related issues.
