The case for staying with ethanol 10

Ethanol blending over 10 per cent may be desirable but a full understanding of its environmental and economic impacts is crucial

India’s biofuel initiatives have been successful in getting us to a 10 per cent ethanol blend with petrol (E10). At this level, petrol engines sold in India since 2008 are not harmed, although older engines need modifications or no ethanol. Also, molasses as feedstock for ethanol from sugar factories have been adequate, supplemented by grain in good years, while the effluents are manageable, and there is less risk of “phase separation”, where a water-ethanol mix separates from the fuel. However, increasing ethanol to 20 per cent (E20) by the target date of 2025 is likely to be too disruptive. 

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