New Delhi: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Khanna said on Thursday that there is no proposal to replace E20 petrol with E10, clarifying that the current debate is about whether older vehicles should be given access to a lower-ethanol fuel blend containing 10 per cent ethanol.
Speaking to the media after the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Khanna said he saw no operational or logistical difficulty in switching from E20 to E10 if the government decides to alter its ethanol-blending policy.
“I never said that E20 will be changed to E10. What is being debated in some circles is whether older vehicles should have an option of lower-ethanol blend fuel,” he said.
E10 petrol contains 10 per cent ethanol and 90 per cent petrol, while E20 contains 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol.
While there is no proposal to roll back E20, Khanna said discussions are underway on whether E10 could be offered specifically for older vehicles.
“One of the options being explored is whether we have E10 fuel for the older vehicle, which is what is being pursued right now. There are challenges related to supply, whether we can handle another grade of petrol simultaneously. Yes, those challenges are there, and they are being debated,” Khanna said.
The clarification comes amid a debate over the use of E20 petrol in older vehicles.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently issued a factsheet rejecting claims in the media and on social media that vehicles manufactured before 2023 cannot run on E20 petrol and that automobile manufacturers have privately indicated that the blended fuel is not desirable.
According to the factsheet, E15-plus fuel has been in widespread use for more than three and a half years, while E19-E20 fuel has been used for more than two and a half years.
It said there has been no verified report of widespread engine failure or vehicle breakdown attributable to ethanol blending during this period. The ministry said that if ethanol blending had been causing systemic damage to engines or fuel systems, it would have resulted in large-scale warranty claims, service campaigns and widespread consumer complaints, none of which have been reported.
With IANS inputs