Hardeep Singh Puri, the Petroleum Minister, announced on Friday that by 2025, E20 petrol will be available at dedicated fuel stations across the entire country. He expressed his confidence in the accelerated deployment of these specialized fuel stations. E20 fuel is a combination of 20 percent ethanol and petrol.
Additionally, he mentioned that the ministry plans to launch a global biofuel alliance later this month.
The minister highlighted that the percentage of ethanol blending in petrol has risen significantly, from 1.53 percent in 2013-14 to over 11.5 percent as of March 2023.
In terms of volume, the quantity of ethanol blended petrol has grown from 38 crore litres in 2013-14 to 433.6 crore litres in 2021-22.
Likewise, he noted that the number of petrol stations selling biofuels has tripled, increasing from over 29,890 in 2016-17 to more than 67,640.
The government has set a goal of reaching a 20 percent ethanol blending target by 2025, surpassing the current level of 11.5 percent earlier than anticipated.
Furthermore, the government has accelerated the timeline for achieving the 20 percent blending target, moving it up by five years from 2030 to 2025.
Hardeep Singh Puri stated that the target of 10 percent ethanol blending in petrol was achieved in June 2022, well in advance of the projected timeline.
According to Puri, as the country increasingly obtains crude oil from Russia and other non-Gulf markets, there has been a diversification of the import sources. The import basket has expanded from 27 countries in 2006-07 to 39 countries in 2023.
Puri also highlighted the clear correlation between growth and energy. He mentioned that India currently holds impressive positions in the global energy landscape, being the world's third-largest energy consumer, third-largest oil consumer, third-largest LPG consumer, fourth-largest LNG importer, fourth-largest refiner, and the fourth-largest automobile market.
