What is E20 Fuel?

The government have proposed on December 19, 2020 to adopt the E20 fuel. The draft notification was published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and asked public to comment about the adoption of fuel.

E20 Fuel

E20 fuel is a blend of 20% of ethanol and gasoline. It is an automobile fuel that reduce the vehicular emissions. It also reduces the India’s oil import bill. The fuel would also save the foreign exchange and boost the energy security of India.

Highlights

  • India’s current permissible level of blending is 10% of ethanol.
  • However, India have only reached 5.6% of blending in the year 2019.
  • The compatibility of vehicles with the percentage of ethanol will be defined by the vehicle manufacturer. This would be displayed on the vehicle with a sticker.

Ethanol

It is a biofuel and a common by-product of biomass that is left by agricultural feedstock like corn, sugarcane and potato. It is also called as the ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, spirits, drinking alcohol or simply alcohol. It is a volatile, flammable and a colourless liquid. It has a slight characteristic odour. It is a psychoactive substance and a recreational drug. Ethanol is used as an active ingredient of alcoholic drinks. The compound is naturally produced by fermenting the sugars by yeasts or through the petrochemical processes. It is also used as an antiseptic and disinfectant. It is used as a chemical solvent. It is also used in the synthesis of organic compounds.

Gasoline

It is a clear petroleum-derived flammable liquid. The liquid is used primarily as a fuel. It is mostly used in spark-ignited internal combustion engines. The fuel comprises of organic compounds which are obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum.