New Delhi, August 27: Sanjay Khanna, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), stated on Thursday that there are no plans to replace E20 petrol with E10. He clarified that the current discussions are focused solely on whether a separate option for 10% ethanol blended fuel should be made available for older vehicles.
During a media interaction following the company’s annual general meeting, Khanna noted that there is ongoing debate in some circles about providing older vehicles with fuel that has a lower ethanol blend. However, he reiterated that there is no proposal to withdraw or alter the government’s existing E20 policy.
“I have never stated that E20 will be replaced by E10. The discussion is only about whether older vehicles should have access to fuel with a lower ethanol blend,” he said.
Khanna also mentioned that if the government decides to make any changes to the ethanol blending policy in the future, BPCL does not foresee any significant operational or logistical challenges in transitioning from E20 to E10 or any other blend. However, he acknowledged that managing the supply and distribution of multiple grades of petrol simultaneously presents practical challenges.
He added, “Currently, one of the options being considered is providing E10 fuel for older vehicles. But this comes with supply and distribution challenges, as handling an additional grade of petrol simultaneously is not straightforward.”
It is noteworthy that E10 petrol consists of 10% ethanol and 90% petrol, while E20 petrol contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. The central government is working on a strategy to reduce dependence on petroleum imports, increase farmers’ incomes, and promote clean fuel through the ethanol blending program.
Recently, some media and social media reports claimed that vehicles manufactured before 2023 are not compatible with E20 petrol, raising concerns among vehicle manufacturers about this fuel. In response to these claims, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas released an official fact sheet to refute such reports.
The ministry stated that ethanol blended fuels with more than 15% ethanol have been in use for the past three and a half years, and E19-E20 fuels have been utilized for over two and a half years. During this period, there have been no verified incidents of significant engine damage or technical failures in vehicles due to ethanol blending.
According to the fact sheet, if ethanol blending were indeed causing widespread damage to engines or fuel systems, vehicle manufacturers would face a surge in warranty claims, special service campaigns, and numerous consumer complaints. However, no such trends have been observed.
Leave a Comment