Premium petrol to remain ethanol-free; no plan to blend beyond 20%: Govt to Parliament
The Indian government has clarified that premium petrol grades will remain exempt from ethanol-blending mandates. Officials stated that there are no current plans to increase ethanol blending beyond 20% for regular fuel without further technical study.
Why it matters
This decision balances the government's green energy goals with the performance requirements of high-end engines and consumer demand for specialized fuel.
Consumers buying premium petrol from state-run fuel retailers will continue to get ethanol free fuel. The Centre on Thursday clarified that these specialised grades will remain exempt from the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme. It further added that, currently, there is no proposal either to bring back E0 or E10 petrol or to raise ethanol blending in regular petrol beyond the current 20%. The clarification came in the Lok Sabha through written replies by minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Suresh Gopi, who said any decision on increasing ethanol blending beyond 20% would be taken only after detailed scientific and technical studies and consultations with automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and research institutions.Why premium petrol is exemptAccording to the minister, Indian Oil Corporation's XP100, Hindustan Petroleum's poWer100 and Bharat Petroleum's Speed100 are supplied without ethanol because they are niche fuels containing specialised performance-enhancing additives.
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