Roll out of Ethanol Blended Petrol (E10) across Northeastern States

GUWAHATI: Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. has recently planned to roll out 10 per cent Ethanol Blended Petrol (E10) across the seven north-eastern States with a 100 per cent rollout in Guwahati.

The blending of 10 per cent ethanol in petrol in India is a practice which is nearly two-decades old now and has been implemented across the country. Implementation in the Northeast was held up till now due to unavailability of sufficient quantity of Ethanol.

Currently, in India, nearly 85 per cent of the crude oil is imported. Thus, being an import dependant country, blending of ethanol helps reduce the amount of crude oil imported and helps in improving India's balance of payments. Talking about the fuel characteristics and its effect on vehicles, a recent Niti Aayog report on the Roadmap of Ethanol Blending in India 2020 - 25 says that ethanol blending offers significant advantages such as increase in Research Octane Number (RON) of the blend, fuel embedded oxygen and higher flame speed. These properties of ethanol help in complete combustion and reduce vehicular emissions such as hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.

As per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment in the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, 50 per cent of India's energy mix is to come from sources other than fossil fuels by 2030. Ethanol being a renewable fuel would contribute immensely to help India achieve its Climate Change targets vis-à-vis COP26 whilst at the same time, ensure energy security and industrial acceleration.

Today, all Indian Oil petrol pumps are 100 per cent automated. The automation system in the petrol pumps ensures correct quality and quantity of fuel which ensures that customers are always given the best product in an Indian Oil Retail Outlet, stated a press release.

Also Read:  What Is Ethanol Blending In Petrol And How It Can Benefit India?

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