Ethanol Fuel All Set To Revolutionize Automobile Industry By 2025

Ethanol fuel is a renewable and biodegradable fuel that is made from the fermentation of plant materials such as corn, sugarcane, and grains. This plant material is known as biomass. It is a biofuel that is blended with gasoline to decrease dependence on fossil fuels and lower emissions from internal combustion engines.

Need For Ethanol Fuel

The ethanol fuel industry is estimated to witness significant growth in the upcoming years. Its growth is driven by a number of factors including increasing demand for renewable energy sources, government regulations promoting the use of biofuels, and advancements in technology making the production of ethanol more efficient and cost-effective.

Ethanol Blending Programme

The Government has been implementing the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme throughout the country, except in the Union Territories of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. Under this program, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) sell petrol blended with 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. This fuel is also known as E10.

Initially, India’s goal was to increase the proportion of ethanol in petrol used in vehicles to 20% by 2030, but this deadline was preponed to 2025 in the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s 2021 ethanol roadmap.

It is estimated that a 5% addition mix of ethanol can lead to the substitution of approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil. Thus, success in the 20% ethanol blending programme will help the government save approximately 4 billion dollars per year. Additionally, it will decrease India’s dependence on crude oil exported from the gulf.

Ethanol As A Flex-Fuel

Flex-fuel is an environmentally friendly fuel that offers dual benefits. Firstly, it helps combat rising fuel prices. Secondly, it can help reduce pollution drastically. It is a versatile fuel that can be used in a vehicle’s internal combustion engine (ICE).

Ethanol Flex fuel comprises 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline mix. It can be used in flex-fuel vehicles (FFV), which are designed to run on various fuel blends. Flex-fuel vehicles can operate on a blend of 100% gasoline or 100% bio-ethanol, and their mixtures. They can run on either gasoline or diesel, as well as a combination of fuels. Even combining it with hybrid electric technology, it can be used in designing and manufacturing a flex-fuel-strong electric hybrid vehicle.

Additionally, flex-fuel vehicles that use ethanol as fuel emit fewer pollutants into the environment compared to those that use gasoline-based fuels, because ethanol burns cleaner.

Road Ahead

Toyota had launched a pilot project for a flex fuel-strong hybrid electric vehicle (FFV-SHEV) that can run on 100% ethanol. Other car manufacturers like (Maruti Suzuki) are also developing flex fuel vehicle prototypes for Wagon-R. Since ethanol blending will touch 20% by 2025, we can expect infrastructure and measures will be in place to introduce flex-fuel vehicles that can run on gasoline blended with at least 20% ethanol. Where ethanol is available in abundance, the launch of flex-fuel vehicles that can run on gasoline blended at 100% ethanol doesn’t seem to be a distant dream. 

When technology joins hands with eco-friendly measures, sustainable development goals can be met. This way, technological advancement and environmental consciousness can co-exist.

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