Pros vs Cons of Ethanol Blending
| Pros (Benefits) | Cons (Concerns) |
|---|---|
| Reduces crude oil imports → saves ₹30k–35k crore annually | ⛽ Mileage drops by 6–10% in vehicles on E20 |
| 🌍 Cuts CO₂ emissions by 15–20% | 🔧🚜 Older vehicles (pre-2020) face engine wear & corrosion |
| Cleaner combustion → less particulate matter & CO | 🚫 No option for consumers to choose pure petrol (E0) |
| Boosts farmer income (sugarcane & maize demand) | 💧 High water usage for sugarcane (~2860L per 1L ethanol) |
| ⚡ Encourages biofuel industry & energy security | 🌾 Food security risk if grains diverted for fuel |
1. What is Ethanol Blending?
- Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel (C₂H₅OH) usually made from sugarcane, corn, or other biomass.
- Blending means mixing ethanol with petrol (gasoline) to reduce crude oil imports, cut emissions, and support farmers.
- Example: If you mix 10% ethanol with 90% petrol, that’s E10 fuel.
2. What are E5 and E20?
- E5 → Petrol with 5% ethanol.
- E10 → Petrol with 10% ethanol (already standard across India since 2022).
- E20 → Petrol with 20% ethanol (rollout started in 2023; full target by 2025–26).
3. Why are some Indians opposing ethanol blending?
The pushback comes from multiple angles:
a) Mileage & Performance Concerns
- Ethanol has lower energy content (~30% less than petrol).
- Vehicles running on higher ethanol blends can see 5–10% lower mileage (fuel efficiency).
- For many middle-class Indians, this directly affects their fuel cost per km.
Ethanol blending was pushed by the concerned Minister Nitin Gadkari, surprisingly his 2 sons are suppliers of Ethanol, clear case of conflict of interest and quid pro quo – Details Here
b) Vehicle Compatibility
- Not all existing vehicles are designed to handle higher ethanol blends.
- Rubber, plastic, and certain metals in older engines can corrode with ethanol, leading to higher maintenance.
c) No Option at the Pump
- Unlike some countries where you can choose (E0, E10, E20, E85), Indian fuel stations largely have only one blend nationwide.
- So customers cannot opt for pure petrol (E0/E5) if they wish.
d) Food vs Fuel Debate
- Ethanol production needs sugarcane, maize, or rice → critics argue it can divert food crops, raise water usage, and impact food security.
e) Price Transparency
- Petrol price at pumps doesn’t reduce even though ethanol is cheaper than crude oil.
- Citizens feel they aren’t sharing the cost benefit, only the downsides.
4. How does ethanol blending affect vehicles?
- Short-term: Vehicles generally tolerate up to E10 with minimal issues.
- E20 effects:
- Mileage drops ~6–10%
- Engine wear can increase if the vehicle is not designed for it
- Cold-start problems (ethanol absorbs water, harder ignition in winter)
- More frequent servicing of fuel lines and filters may be required
5. Which models in India support E20?
As per SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) and automakers:
- Most cars/bikes manufactured after April 2023 are E20 material-compliant (fuel lines, seals, etc. resistant to ethanol).
- Flex-fuel vehicles (which can run up to E85) are being planned, but few models are in the market.
- Older vehicles (before 2020) → mostly safe up to E10 only.
Examples:
- Maruti Suzuki: New models since 2022–23 (Swift, Baleno, Brezza, WagonR) certified for E20.
- Hyundai: Creta, i20, Venue new versions are E20-ready.
- Two-wheelers: Honda, TVS, Bajaj new bikes post-2022 designed for E20.
6. Why aren’t Indians given fuel-choice options?
- Logistics: Maintaining multiple storage tanks (E0, E10, E20) at every pump is costly.
- Policy: Government has mandated uniform rollout of ethanol blends (first E10, now E20) to simplify supply chains.
- Market: Oil Marketing Companies (IOCL, HPCL, BPCL) supply one standard blend → customers can’t pick.
7. Research in Support of Ethanol Blending
- NITI Aayog & Indian Oil studies:
- E20 could save India ₹30,000–35,000 crore annually in crude imports.
- Reduces CO₂ emissions by 15–20% compared to pure petrol.
- Health angle: Ethanol burns cleaner, reduces particulate matter and carbon monoxide.
- Farmer income boost: More demand for sugarcane & maize helps agro-economy.
8. Research/Criticism Against Ethanol Blending
- IIT Kanpur study (2022): Vehicles on E20 showed 6–7% fuel efficiency loss.
- Automakers’ caution: Older vehicles risk engine wear, corrosion.
- Water usage concern: Sugarcane ethanol consumes huge water → ~2,860 liters of water per liter of ethanol (in India’s drought-prone regions, this is a problem).
- Food security risk: Diverting grains like rice/maize for ethanol could affect food subsidies (PDS).
In summary:
Ethanol blending is meant to cut imports, help farmers, and reduce pollution. But opposition is growing because Indians feel:
- Mileage is dropping,
- They are not given fuel choice,
- Vehicle health is uncertain,
- Environmental trade-offs (water, food crops) are ignored.