Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Haryana's Karnal district on Tuesday, contended that India will be able to achieve the goal of a 20 per cent ethanol blend in petrol by the next two years.
Shah made the announcement while speaking at an event organised at Haryana Cooperative Export House (HAFED) after inaugurating various projects of the Haryana Cooperative Department, including a Rs 150 crore ethanol project to establish plants in cooperative sugar mills aimed at producing 9,000 ltr ethanol per day.
India to produce 9,000 litre ethanol per day
While speaking at an event organised at Haryana Cooperative Export House (HAFED), Shah asserted that the main aim of the government is to ensure producing 9,000-litre ethanol per day. Notably, the Union Minister made these claims after inaugurating various projects of the Haryana Cooperative Department, including a Rs 150 crore ethanol project to establish plants in cooperative sugar mills.
"How the ethanol project being started by the Haryana government will enhance the income of cooperative sugar mills," he said.
According to Shah, if the government will be able to achieve the target, it will reduce oil import costs by nearly 20 per cent, which eventually leads to lowering the burden on the government.
Congress undermined the potential
While taking a dig at the earlier regimes, Shah pointed the Congress-led UPA government had underestimated the use of biotechnology despite knowing the fact it would assist the country's economy.
“Blending of ethanol in petrol and diesel was lower than one per cent when Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. Today, we have crossed 10 per cent. By 2025, the Narendra Modi government will be able to achieve the goal of 20 per cent ethanol blend in petrol," he noted.
What is ethanol?
According to the US Department of Energy, ethanol is a renewable, domestically produced transportation fuel. Whether used in low-level blends, such as E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline), E15 (10.5% to 15% ethanol), or E85 (flex fuel)—a gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51% to 83% ethanol, depending on geography and season—ethanol helps reduce emissions. Like any alternative fuel, the use of ethanol involves several considerations, as per the US energy department.
Shah’s announcement comes months after the Ministry of Petroleum in October last year moved up its deadline for blending 20 per cent ethanol into gasoline by five years, to 2025 when 1,000 core litre ethanol production capacity is not achieved to fulfil the desired 20 per cent ethanol blend in petrol.
In October last year, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said that 450 crore litre of ethanol is being produced and tenders for 400 crore litre have been issued and the government is constantly reviewing ethanol production.
(With inputs from agency)
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