New Delhi: The Union government has released fresh fuel standards aimed at increasing ethanol blending in petrol beyond the current E20 (20% ethanol) level.
According to the announcement, the government plans to build a regulatory framework to gradually introduce higher blends—E22, E25, E27 and E30—across the country in the future.
The standards lay out requirements such as permissible ethanol blend limits, octane rating needs, fuel stability parameters and quality benchmarks for blended fuels.
Officials said the guidelines are intended to help vehicle and auto-component makers, oil companies and fuel distribution firms prepare for the transition. At present, E20 petrol is the national fuel standard and is what existing vehicles are designed to run on.
Since higher-than-20% ethanol blends have not been tested for reliable performance in current vehicles, the new standards are expected to give manufacturers time to test and make upgrades before any phased nationwide rollout. Experts said the move also supports domestic ethanol production and could help reduce crude oil imports.
