Pm Modi Launches E20 Fuel in Bengaluru
The Prime Minister inaugurated the India Energy Week (IEW) – 2023 on 6 February 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. During this India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 Prime Minister has launched E20 fuel
- To be held from February 6 to 8, the IEW aims to showcase India’s growing prowess as an energy conversion powerhouse.
- E20 fuel is a blend of 20% ethanol and 80% It has been launched 2 years ahead of its intended target. In the next two years, it will be implemented across the country in a phased manner.
- India Energy Week is organized by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It aims to showcase India’s growing potential as a powerhouse of the energy transition.
- Ethanol blending is a blended automotive fuel. It contains ethyl alcohol.
- This ethyl alcohol is at least 99% It is obtained from agricultural products. It blends exclusively with gasoline.
- Apart from sugarcane based raw material, ethanol production has also been permitted from maize and surplus rice available with the Food Corporation of India.
- The government is running the EBP program. In this, oil marketing companies sell petrol mixed with 10%
- The target of 10% blending of ethanol in petrol on an average was achieved in June 2022 In view of this, the target period for achieving the target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol was changed to the year 2025 instead of the year 2030.
Importance of ethanol blended fuel-
- It is a less polluting fuel. It offers similar efficiency at a lower cost than petrol.
- It provides energy security, reduces the import bill of crude oil and moves the economy towards a low carbon economy.
- It enables local enterprises and farmers to participate in an energy-linked economy.
Measures taken to improve ethanol blending-
- Additional differential excise duty on non-blended fuel has been announced in the Union Budget 2022-23.
- Grain-based distilleries have also been given the benefit of the interest subvention scheme.
- Guidelines for the use of automotive fuels E12 (12% ethanol with 88% petrol) and E15 have been notified.
- Amendments have been made in the National Biofuel Policy.
Source – The Hindu
