Government launches groundbreaking automotive fuel ETHANOL 100

Customers can access ETHANOL 100 at selected 183 retail outlets spanning across five states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, and Tamil Nadu.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs, inaugurated ‘ETHANOL 100,’ a groundbreaking automotive fuel, at the IndianOil Retail Outlet M/s. Irwin Road Service Station today. Commencing from this moment, customers can access ETHANOL 100 at selected 183 retail outlets spanning across five states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, and Tamil Nadu.

Pankaj Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, along with Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman, and senior officials from MoP&NG, as well as functional Directors of IndianOil, participated in the launch ceremony.

In his remarks during the launch, Hardeep Singh Puri mentioned that the inception of ETHANOL 100 was inspired by the Prime Minister of India’s vision to transform Annadatas to Urjadatas. Describing it as a revolutionary fuel, the Minister emphasised its potential to revolutionize the transportation sector and diminish our reliance on fossil fuels.

He highlighted the government’s dedication to decreasing import dependency, conserving foreign exchange, and fostering the agriculture sector. Since the Prime Minister’s announcement on E20 (20 percent ethanol blended fuel) in 2023, the availability of E20 has surged to 12,000 outlets within a year. With the introduction of ETHANOL 100 at 183 IndianOil outlets, the goal of achieving 20 percent ethanol blending by 2025-26 is within reach. Over the past decade, these ethanol blending initiatives have augmented farmer incomes, escalated rural employment, reduced CO2 emissions equivalent to planting 1.75 crore trees, and amassed savings of ₹ 85,000 crore worth of foreign exchange.

Reflecting on the progress towards achieving the vision of blending 20 percent ethanol in petrol by 2025-26, Puri acknowledged the pivotal role played by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). He highlighted that OMCs have spearheaded various blends of ethanol with petrol nationwide and have entered long-term offtake agreements with 131 dedicated ethanol plants, expected to add an annual production design capacity of 745 crore litres. Additionally, OMCs have invested in expanding storage capacity and allied infrastructure to handle higher blending percentages.

During the event, Jain, Secretary MoPNG, emphasised the significant shift towards embracing sustainable technologies and instilling confidence in manufacturers to invest in ethanol-based vehicles. He praised IndianOil for spearheading the initiative and affirmed the commitment to decarbonisation.

Chairman Vaidya underscored that India stands among the select few countries globally to offer ETHANOL 100 fuel. He described this as a significant milestone in India’s journey towards sustainability and clean mobility.

ETHANOL 100 serves as a cleaner, greener alternative to gasoline, boasting lower emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants, thus aiding in combating climate change and enhancing air quality in our communities. With its high-octane rating, typically between 100-105, ETHANOL 100 proves ideal for high-performance engines, ensuring improved efficiency and power output, all while minimising environmental impact. Moreover, its versatility shines through, as it can be used in a wide array of vehicles, including flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) designed to run on gasoline, ethanol, or any blend of the two, showcasing its practicality and potential to become a mainstream fuel option with the right infrastructure in place.