Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 17: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Tuesday strongly refuted allegations that ethanol-blended petrol harms automobile engines, terming such claims as nothing but “a lot of BS.”
Speaking at KPMG’s annual energy and resources conclave, ENRich 2025, Puri dismissed the criticism as baseless. “All the stories you hear about biofuels being harmful for engines, there’s a lot of ‘BS’ – B capital, S capital. I don’t know what that means, but it’s a specializer,” he remarked, hinting at the word being used in the sense of “rubbish.”
India has already achieved 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol (E20) across all 90,000-plus retail outlets in the country. While some motorists and automobile engineers have raised doubts about the compatibility of E20 with older vehicles, Puri clarified that the concerns are exaggerated.
“Older vehicles may need replacement of rubber parts and gaskets, but it is a simple process. There is no large-scale damage as is being propagated,” he said.
The minister pointed out that ethanol blending, which stood at just 1.4 per cent in 2014, has now touched 20 per cent. “And I want to put a full stop there. We will now assess where we have to go,” he stated, making it clear that no further leapfrogging was being considered immediately.
On the criticism about reduced fuel efficiency, Puri said such observations often ignore other factors. “If someone lives in Delhi and commutes to Gurugram daily, I can give you 21 reasons why his car’s mileage will vary. Ethanol is not the culprit,” he said.
Highlighting India’s energy challenge, Puri said the nation imports nearly 88 per cent of its crude oil needs, making biofuels and renewable energy crucial. Quoting International Energy Agency (IEA) projections, he noted that India’s energy demand is set to grow three times faster than the global average in the next two decades, accounting for 25 per cent of the worldwide increase.
The Ministry of Petroleum had earlier clarified that ethanol-blended fuel, while slightly lower in energy density than petrol, only results in a marginal drop in mileage – 1-2 per cent in vehicles calibrated for E20 and 3–6 per cent in others. It had further highlighted benefits like improved acceleration and reduced emissions.
Puri emphasized that the ethanol programme is not only an environment-friendly initiative but also boosts farmer income. “Some people are trying to derail this national mission by spreading fear and misinformation,” he cautioned.