The government is considering a new initiative to blend 5% ethanol with diesel (ED-5), as it progresses towards its goal of 20% ethanol blending in petrol within the next two years. Last week, the Prime Minister’s Office convened a meeting with all relevant ministries to discuss this new proposal, according to sources. Currently, ethanol blending in petrol has reached 15.9%. The government aims to prepare the groundwork for ethanol blending in diesel.
“Although blending ethanol in diesel will require an increase in production of this green fuel, it will benefit the environment, reduce crude oil imports, and save foreign exchange,” an official noted.
According to media reports, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) conducted a trial run in 2018-19, testing ethanol-blended diesel in BS-III and BS-VI buses to evaluate vehicle performance, emissions, and durability. The 500-hour test did not show major failures, though fuel consumption was slightly lower than with regular diesel. However, there has been no trial of ethanol-blended diesel on BS-VI vehicles to date. One of the oil PSUs is expected to conduct a trial on a heavy-duty vehicle for further assessment.
Recently, in a response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri indicated that ethanol blending with diesel is still experimental. Initial tests have revealed issues such as deposit formation in fuel tanks and other related implications.
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