Excess ethanol in petrol; IOC sample records 31.2%

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has found that petrol samples collected from various oil companies contained ethanol in excess of the permitted 20 per cent limit under the E20 blending programme. An ethanol content of 31.2 per cent was detected in a sample of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) petrol, while samples from other oil companies were also found to contain ethanol beyond the prescribed limit, Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad said.

The minister released the findings of tests conducted at an accredited laboratory during a press conference in Bengaluru. A total of 63 petrol samples were collected from seven districts across the state. Of the 14 samples for which detailed laboratory results were reported, 11 contained ethanol exceeding the permitted limit. The tests detected 31.2 per cent ethanol in IOC petrol and 30.5 per cent in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) petrol. The ethanol content was 26.5 per cent in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) petrol, 26.1 per cent in Nayara petrol and 25.5 per cent in Shell petrol. Samples collected from Bengaluru and other districts were also found to have exceeded the prescribed limit.

The minister also raised concerns about whether vehicles in the country could safely use petrol containing more than 20 per cent ethanol. India has more than 350 million vehicles, and according to Arshad, around 99 per cent of them were not manufactured to run on petrol containing ethanol beyond the E20 limit. Vehicles compatible with E20 fuel began to be manufactured only after April 2023, meaning that their numbers remain relatively small in the country, he said.

The Union government introduced the ethanol-blended fuel programme with the objectives of reducing the country's dependence on crude oil imports, controlling foreign exchange expenditure and creating a market for domestically produced ethanol. The Centre has also maintained that ethanol produced from sugarcane, maize and other crops would help increase farmers' income. However, concerns have been raised over the possible impact of E20 petrol on vehicle mileage and engine performance.