Why India will not have pure petrol at pumps. Centre cites a reason

Availability of E20, the 20% ethanol-blended petrol, as the standard fuel, has been creating customer discomfort, especially for those who own older vehicles and are concerned that such vehicles could be damaged due to using higher ethanol-blended fuel. There have been demands for pure petrol and E10 alongside E20. Responding to the concerns over why consumers are not being offered a choice between pure petrol, E10 and E20 fuel, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) said maintaining multiple petrol grades across India’s vast fuel distribution network would create major operational and logistical challenges, ANI has reported.

The ministry reportedly said that India’s shift towards E20 was part of a planned transition after extensive consultations with automobile manufacturers, testing agencies and other stakeholders. It added that the decision was based on technical evaluations covering vehicle compatibility, engine performance, emissions and fuel efficiency. Addressing the demand for separate availability of pure petrol, E10 and E20 at fuel stations, the ministry said that India’s fuel distribution system is not designed to operate multiple nationwide base fuel streams simultaneously.

India has more than one lakh fuel retail outlets, supported by an extensive network of refineries, terminals, depots and pipelines. According to the MoPNG, maintaining separate supply chains for different petrol blends would increase handling costs, complicate inventory management and reduce operational efficiency. The ministry also said that comparisons with premium petrol were not applicable, as premium fuels are niche products sold in limited quantities with specialised additives and do not represent separate nationwide fuel supply chains.

On concerns regarding the older vehicles that were initially labelled as only E10-compatible, not higher ethanol blends, the ministry said that automobile manufacturers were consulted before the rollout of higher ethanol blends and have continued to support the transition. It said manufacturers would not have endorsed E20 or honoured warranties if they were not satisfied with the results of extensive testing and consultations.

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