Petrol, biodiesel rules set to change! E85, E100 ethanol blends may soon power your car | Details here

The Centre has issued a draft notification proposing changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to formally incorporate higher ethanol-blended fuels.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said the draft, released on 27 April, includes provisions for E85 fuel (a blend of 85% ethanol with petrol) and E100, which would allow vehicles to run on nearly pure ethanol.

The ministry also said that the technical names of fuels used in emission standards will be updated as the use of ethanol and biofuel blends becomes more common.

Here's how they will be categorised

• For hydrogen-powered vehicles, the term will be revised from “Hydrogen+CN” to Hydrogen+CNG.
• For petrol vehicles, the fuel description will change from [(E10)/(E)] to [(E10)/(E20)]
• The draft also introduces specific references to higher ethanol blends such as E85 and E100 (100% ethanol), while biodiesel references will be updated from B10 to B100 (100% biodiesel).
• The draft rules have been opened for public comments, after which the government will take a final decision.
• India achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending (E20) in petrol in 2025 and is now looking to increase blending further to reduce costly imports of petroleum products.

India should aspire to achieve 100% ethanol blending: Nitin Gadkari amid energy crisis

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that India should aspire to achieve 100% ethanol blending in the near future, as vulnerabilities in oil exports amid the West Asia crisis have made it necessary for the country to become self-reliant in the energy sector.

"In the near future, India should aspire to achieve 100% ethanol blending. Today, we are facing an energy crisis due to the war in West Asia, so it is necessary for us to become self-reliant in the energy sector," he said, while addressing the Indian Federation of Green Energy's Green Transport Conclave on 21 April.

Gadkari added that the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency III standards, which will be implemented from 1 April next year, will have little impact on electric and flex-fuel vehicles.

India allows ethanol blending in aviation fuel

Earlier this month, the Centre permitted blending ethanol and other synthetic or man-made hydrocarbons in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), but has not set any immediate mandatory blending targets, according to a government notification.

The move follows amendments to the Aviation Turbine Fuel (Regulation of Marketing) Order, 2001, under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, which broadened the definition of ATF to include blends with synthetic hydrocarbons.

The government made the amendments with a view to cutting emissions and reducing reliance on the import of oil. However, no mandatory blending targets have been set so far.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), through a gazette notification, amended rules governing the marketing of ATF, broadening the definition of the fuel and aligning enforcement provisions with updated criminal procedures.