Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said India should aim for 100 per cent ethanol blending in the near future to strengthen energy self-reliance. He said that due to the weaknesses in oil supply due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, it has become necessary for the country to reduce dependence on imports.Speaking at the Indian Federation of Green Energy’s Green Transport Conclave, Gadkari said, “In the near future, India should aspire to achieve 100 per cent ethanol blending… Today, we are facing an energy crisis due to the war in West Asia, so it is important for us to become self-reliant in the energy sector.”India currently allows vehicles to run on E20 petrol, which contains 20 per cent ethanol, with minor modifications to the engine to avoid corrosion and related issues. In 2023, PM Modi launches petrol blended with 20 percent ethanol. Countries like Brazil have already achieved 100 percent ethanol blending.Gadkari said India imports 87 per cent of its oil requirements, adding, “We import fossil fuels worth Rs 22 lakh crore, which is also causing pollution… So we need to work on increasing the production of alternative fuels and bio-fuels.”On future energy solutions, he stressed the importance of green hydrogen but pointed to challenges in cost and transportation. “Transportation of hydrogen fuel is a problem. Also, to make India an energy exporter, we need to produce 1 kg of hydrogen at $1,” he said. He said that hydrogen production from waste should be explored.The minister also stressed the role of circular economy in creating employment opportunities. Calling for reducing dependence on petrol and diesel vehicles, he clarified, “But we cannot force people to stop buying petrol and diesel vehicles.”Addressing concerns about E20 fuel, Gadkari said the petroleum sector is lobbying against the move. He also urged automobile manufacturers to prioritize quality over cost to expand into new markets.Last year, Gadkari had rejected criticism against E20 (Ethanol-blended petrol) and said a “paid” social media campaign was being run to “target me politically”. He said the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and the Automotive Research Association of India have shared their findings on ethanol blending in petrol. He said India’s ethanol program has benefited farmers, helping them get better prices from corn-based ethanol and generating a profit of Rs 45,000 crore.
