India to breach 20% ethanol blending target in just 2 months: Nitin Gadkari

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that India is set to achieve its 20% ethanol blending target within the next two months. Speaking at an event, Gadkari said, “We will achieve this target of 20% ethanol blending in the next two months. The use of E20 (petrol with 20% ethanol) will help reduce pollution.”

His comments come when the Central Government has announced that ethanol blending in petrol reached 18.2% in last December during the ongoing Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2024-25. The Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry has said that cumulative ethanol blending between November and December 2024 stood at 16.4%, with December achieving the highest-ever blending percentage.

The minister also highlighted that major automakers, including Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Hyundai Motors, have begun producing vehicles designed to run entirely on 100% bio-ethanol.

Addressing the issue of pollution, Gadkari emphasized its severity, noting that 42 Indian cities rank among the 50 most polluted globally. He also pointed out that India imports fossil fuels worth Rs 22 lakh crore annually, a major contributor to environmental degradation.

Ethanol blending was first introduced in 2001 during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure as part of a pilot project to promote alternative fuels. In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched petrol blended with 20% ethanol. The use of E20 is estimated to reduce carbon monoxide emissions by about 50% in two-wheelers and 30% in four-wheelers compared to pure petrol (E0).

Record Achievements in December

Official data reveals that ethanol blending under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme reached 76.6 crore liters in December 2024, contributing to a total of 140.8 crore liters from November to December 2024.

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) reported a significant increase in ethanol supplies, rising from 38 crore liters in ESY 2013-14 to 707.4 crore liters in ESY 2023-24, with an average blending rate of 14.6%.

For the ongoing ESY 2024-25, ethanol allocation (cycles 1 and 2) has already reached around 930 crore liters. To meet the 20% blending target by ESY 2025-26, India will require approximately 1,016 crore liters of ethanol, rising to 1,350 crore liters when accounting for other uses.

The government remains optimistic about achieving this ambitious goal, which promises significant environmental and economic benefits for the nation.