Ethanol-blended diesel failed required security specs as a result of the addition of ethanol sharply lowered the gas’s flash level, Minister of State for Petroleum and Pure Gasoline Suresh Gopi stated on Monday, successfully ruling out the gas for wider use until the technical concern is resolved.
Public-sector oil advertising and marketing corporations carried out scientific evaluations of ethanol mixing with diesel by way of their analysis and growth centres, in collaboration with accredited laboratories and vehicle producers, Gopi stated in a written reply to Parliament.
The exams discovered that ethanol-blended diesel didn’t meet the required diesel flash-point specification as a result of the flash level fell sharply within the presence of ethanol, he stated.
“Scientific evaluations on mixing of ethanol with diesel have been undertaken by Public Sector Oil Advertising Firms (OMCs) by way of their respective R&D centres in collaboration with accredited laboratories and vehicle producers. It was noticed that ethanol blended diesel was not assembly diesel flash level as its flash level lowered drastically as a result of presence of ethanol,” he stated.
The discovering comes as India seeks to broaden using ethanol as a transport gas and discover new shops for rising home manufacturing. The federal government has to this point centered its ethanol mixing programme on petrol and has set a goal of 20 per cent mixing.
Requested about mixing isobutanol in diesel, the minister stated, “Isobutanol is presently not being blended with diesel.” Gopi stated no choice has been taken to boost ethanol mixing in petrol past 20 per cent. Any future enhance can be thought of solely after detailed scientific and technical research and consultations with vehicle producers, oil advertising and marketing corporations and analysis establishments.
State-run oil advertising and marketing corporations floated their first tender in September 2025 to obtain about 10.5 billion litres of ethanol for the 2025-26 ethanol provide yr. They acquired presents for practically 17.6 billion litres, about 68 per cent greater than the amount sought, and have allotted 10.485 billion litres to 378 registered suppliers.
The federal government can be analyzing ethanol as a possible cooking gas, which may assist scale back India’s dependence on imported liquefied petroleum fuel whereas making use of surplus home ethanol manufacturing capability.
“The usage of ethanol as a cooking gas could emerge because the potential biofuel different to fossil gas primarily based cooking resolution which can assist in discount of LPG import dependence and supply clear cooking resolution. This may increasingly additionally allow efficient utilization of surplus ethanol manufacturing capability within the nation,” he stated. “The initiative is aligned with the Authorities’s broader goal of selling cleaner and different cooking gas choices.” The LPG Tools Analysis Centre, a three way partnership of Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp, together with public-sector oil advertising and marketing corporations, is engaged on creating ethanol-based clear cooking options, Gopi stated.
The federal government has launched a number of measures to assist home ethanol manufacturing, together with interest-subvention schemes, assist for cooperative sugar mills to transform present sugarcane-based distilleries into multi-feedstock crops, and long-term offtake agreements between oil advertising and marketing corporations and devoted ethanol producers.
