New Delhi, June 4 (IANS). The central government is going to start E85 fuel stations in a phased manner to promote flex-fuel in the country. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that first around 100 E85 fuel dispensing stations will be started in major urban areas like National Capital Region (NCR), Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.
During the launch program of Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex fuel model in the national capital, the Union Minister said that E85 is a fuel mixture which contains up to 85 percent ethanol. It is prescribed as the standard fuel for flex-fuel vehicles under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards.
He said E85 is being considered one of the cleanest fuel options in the country, and in many cases could prove to be a more eco-friendly option than even electric vehicles. This is an important part of India’s move towards alternative energy sources.
Puri further said that the expansion of flex-fuel infrastructure will be done in a phased manner. The number of stations providing E85 fuel will be increased to 500 by December 2026, while a target has been set to establish 5,000 such stations in major cities of the country by the end of 2027.
The minister said that the mobility sector in India is changing rapidly. Flex-fuel technology is no longer limited to only two-wheelers, but has started being used in four-wheelers as well. This will lead to rapid expansion of the entire flex-fuel ecosystem.
He said that if 50 percent of the new two-wheelers and four-wheelers sold in the country adopt flex-fuel technology, it will create demand for additional 311.8 crore liters of ethanol.
With this, there can be an additional increase in the income of farmers by about Rs 12,403 crore and about 66.4 lakh metric tonnes of carbon emissions can be reduced.
Hardeep Singh Puri said that this initiative will not only help in reducing India’s energy import bill, but will also provide a new and sustainable source of income to farmers.
He said, “With this our farmers will not only become food providers but also energy providers.”
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who was present at the event, said that he is hopeful that more automakers will enter the flex-fuel segment in the coming times, as India is rapidly moving towards a clean and environment-friendly transportation system.
This initiative to promote E85 fuel is being taken at a time when global crude oil prices remain high due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. This has also affected the country’s oil marketing companies and fuel prices.
Hardeep Singh Puri said that despite global challenges, the increase in fuel prices in India has been relatively low compared to countries like Japan.
–IANS
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