Nitin Gadkari approves use of 100% ethanol fuel in India
What's the story
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has approved regulations to legally allow the use of 100% ethanol fuel in India. The move is aimed at reducing the country's dependence on imported fossil fuels and promoting alternative energy sources. Gadkari announced the decision during a press conference in Nagpur on Saturday. "Last night at 8pm I signed the file, finalizing the regulations to legally authorize the use of 100% ethanol," he said.
Fuel transition
Ethanol alternative to petrol
Gadkari stressed that ethanol could be a viable alternative to petrol, and help India cut down its massive fuel import bill. He said the country spends some ₹22 trillion on imports and hopes to ease this burden with domestically produced alternatives. The minister also highlighted recent flex-fuel vehicle launches, including Maruti Suzuki's ethanol-compatible WagonR and Hero MotoCorp's flex-fuel variants of Splendor+ and HF Deluxe motorcycles.
Industry shift
Ethanol-compatible vehicles from major automakers
Gadkari also revealed that major automakers such as Toyota, Suzuki, MG, and Hyundai are gearing up to launch ethanol-compatible vehicles in the next month and a half. This announcement comes after the government exempted ethanol-petrol blends with 22-30% ethanol from central excise duty, making them on par with E20 fuel. The government has also proposed amendments to formally recognize E85 fuel and 100% ethanol fuel under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
Future plans
Hydrogen buses in Nagpur
Apart from ethanol, Gadkari also shared plans to promote green hydrogen as a transport fuel. He said a pilot project would be launched in Nagpur soon with a hydrogen pump and two hydrogen-powered buses. The buses will run on green hydrogen extracted from water using an electrolyzer and will be open to the public. "The public will be able to ride these hydrogen buses," Gadkari said.