Puri said the government was not considering raising the current ethanol blending limit and described reports surrounding E20 fuel (petrol containing 20 per cent ethanol) as a fabricated narrative. He also claimed that misinformation was being spread about biofuels.
Responding to concerns raised by motorists about problems allegedly associated with the use of E20 fuel, the minister questioned the claims and said the scale of fuel consumption across the country did not support allegations of widespread engine damage.
"Every day, six crore vehicles visit fuel stations to refuel. If engines were getting damaged, you would see vehicles stranded everywhere," Puri said.
The government's clarification comes amid reports over the possibility of increasing ethanol blending in petrol beyond the existing 20 per cent level.
The Centre has been promoting ethanol-blended petrol as part of its strategy to reduce dependence on imported crude oil. Imported crude oil is one of the major contributors to the country's current account deficit.
E20 fuel has already been introduced in India, with a composition of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol.
Government Claims Rs 1.6 Lakh Crore in Savings
Puri said the introduction of E20 petrol had resulted in savings of Rs 1,60,000 crore for the Central Government.
Of this amount, Rs 1,40,000 crore had been returned to farmers, the minister said.
He added that farmers had transformed from being "annadatas" (food providers) to "urjadatas" (energy providers), highlighting their role in the country's biofuel initiative.
Flex-Fuel Vehicles Get Regulatory Approval
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has recently notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, allowing flex-fuel vehicles to operate on fuels containing up to E100, which is almost pure ethanol.
E100 fuel enables vehicles to run on nearly pure ethanol.
Flex-fuel vehicles are designed to operate on fuels with higher ethanol concentrations, including E85, which contains 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol, and E100, which contains approximately 100 per cent ethanol.
In contrast, conventional petrol vehicles are currently approved to operate on fuels containing lower proportions of ethanol.
Major automobile manufacturers, including Toyota Motor Corporation, Tata Motors and Hyundai Motor Company, are developing flex-fuel vehicles for the Indian market.
The government's current position indicates that while it is encouraging the adoption of ethanol-blended fuels and supporting the development of vehicles capable of using higher ethanol concentrations, there are no plans at present to increase the ethanol blending percentage in petrol beyond the existing 20 per cent level.
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