After the government successfully achieved ethanol blending with petrol, steps are being taken to blend ethanol with diesel and Indian Oil is working with two domestic engine makers to achieve 5% ethanol blending in diesel, said a senior official from the company, according to economictimes.indiatimes.
Indian Oil Corporation Director (R&D) SSV Ramakumar said, “Ethanol blending in diesel is important as it is the most used fuel in the transportation sector in the country. There are some issues with the fuel injectors but we are experimenting with it”.
“Lowering the use of diesel would be a great conservation of precious petroleum products and help in lowering the emission from diesel vehicles,” he said.
“At present 10% ethanol is blended in petrol vehicles and it would be doubled by 2025,” he added.
Sugarcane molasses is used to produce ethanol while second-generation ethanol is produced from agricultural residue like wheat straw, paddy straw, cotton straw and such agricultural residue, said Ramakumar.
Oil Marketing Companies are working on setting up second-generation ethanol plants which will help in boosting ethanol availability in the country to achieve the final goal of 1,000 crore litres of ethanol, needed to achieve a 20% blending target by 2025, he said.
