PM Narendra Modi will launch E20, or petrol blended with 20% ethanol, in Bengaluru on Monday, bringing forward by two years the launch of cleaner-burning version of the common man’s fuel with the dual purpose of reducing oil imports and vehicular emission.
The PM will launch the fuel by pressing a nozzle at the ‘India Energy Week’ conference to start E20 sale at some 67 pumps on pilot basis across several states. We started at 1.4% ethanol blending in 2014 and achieved 10% blending five months ahead of the November 2022 target.
The original target of 20% blending was 2030. We revised it to 2025 and then to 2023. We’re introducing it in the market months in advance,” a top government functionary said.
He said the pace of implementation of the ethanol blending programme and several other initiatives underway simultaneously across the energy value chain underlines the Modi government’s commitment to clean energy transition and climate commitment and the investment opportunities they provide.
The oil ministry is exploring the cooktop’s inclusion in the renewable energy’s subsidy plan for solar pumps, known as Kusum, or similar support, as its initial cost of around Rs 10,000 could be daunting for households. “The price will come down to affordable levels once scale is achieved,” he said.
The PM is slated to launch a programme for recycling PET bottles into fabric by the three state-run oil refiner-cum-fuel retailers, scaling up an initiative launched last year by IndianOil. The fabric will be used to make uniforms for petrol pump attendants and supplied to the armed forces.
PM Modi to launch blended petrol on Monday
