As India looks to cut carbon emissions and reduce oil imports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that the deadline for achieving 20% ethanol-blending with petrol was pushed to 2025 in the country. The government set a target of reaching 10% ethanol-blending in petrol by 2022 last year, and aimed to mix 20% of ethanol mixed with 90 per cent of diesel by 2030.
Earlier this year, the latter target was brought forward to 2025. Currently, about 8.5% ethanol is mixed with petrol as against 1-1.5 per cent in 2014, PM Modi said, adding that higher ethanol blending over the years has led to ethanol procurement jumping from 38 crore litres to 320 crore litres.
