Public-sector oil advertising firms carried out scientific evaluations of ethanol mixing with diesel by their analysis and improvement centres, in collaboration with accredited laboratories and car 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 and marketing Firms (OMCs) by their respective R&D centres in collaboration with accredited laboratories and car producers. It was noticed that ethanol blended diesel was not assembly diesel flash level as its flash level lowered drastically because of the presence of ethanol,” he stated.
The discovering comes as India seeks to increase the usage of ethanol as a transport gas and discover new retailers for rising home manufacturing.
The federal government has thus far targeted 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 determination has been taken to lift ethanol mixing in petrol past 20 per cent. Any future improve could be thought of solely after detailed scientific and technical research and consultations with car producers, oil advertising firms and analysis establishments.
State-run oil advertising firms floated their first tender in September 2025 to obtain about 10.5 billion litres of ethanol for the 2025-26 ethanol provide yr.
They obtained affords 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 inspecting 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.
“Using ethanol as a cooking gas could emerge because the potential biofuel different to fossil gas based mostly cooking resolution which can assist in discount of LPG import dependence and supply clear cooking resolution. This may occasionally 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 firms, is engaged on growing ethanol-based clear cooking options, Gopi stated.
The federal government has launched a number of measures to help home ethanol manufacturing, together with interest-subvention schemes, help for cooperative sugar mills to transform present sugarcane-based distilleries into multi-feedstock crops, and long-term offtake agreements between oil advertising firms and devoted ethanol producers. — PTI
