New Delhi, June 14 (IANS). Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that he has approved the use of 100 percent ethanol fuel to reduce India’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.
The move is also aimed at bringing about a rapid transition towards alternative energy sources, he said at a press conference organized to mark the completion of 12 years of the NDA government in Nagpur.
Gadkari said, “At 8 pm on Saturday night, I signed the file and finalized the rules to legally approve the use of 100 percent ethanol.”
Ethanol can become a viable alternative to petrol, thereby reducing India’s huge fuel import bill. Gadkari said that initially many people ridiculed and criticized this idea.
He said, “When I told this dream, people used to laugh. Some friends also criticized it.
Gadkari further informed that many big automobile companies are preparing to launch ethanol-friendly vehicles in the coming weeks.
Companies like Toyota, Suzuki, MG and Hyundai will launch 100 percent ethanol-using vehicles in the next one and a half months.
Last week the government also introduced E85 fuel for E85-compatible flex-fuel vehicles. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Puri said that India has achieved the target of ethanol blending ahead of schedule.
He said that ethanol blending in petrol increased from 1.5 percent in 2014 to 10 percent in November 2022. The target of 20 percent mixing was to be achieved by 2030, but it was achieved only in 2024.
He said, “From 2014 till now, we have increased the ethanol mix from 1.5 percent to 10 percent, which was completed in November 2022. Our target was 20 percent mix by 2030, but we achieved it only in 2024.
He said that extensive discussions are going on on this issue with the industry, automobile association and other organizations. E85 fuel has also been launched, but only for E85-capable flex-fuel vehicles.
–IANS
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