Puri hints at ethanol pause, trashes E20 engine damage claims

NEW DELHI: Oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday hinted at reassessment of a proposal to raise ethanol blending percentage of petrol, even as he trashed claims of engine damage and lower mileage being caused by the E20 fuel with 20% ethanol blending being sold in the market at present.

Pointing out that ethanol blending of petrol has risen from 1.4% in 2014 to 20% at present, Puri said he wants "to put a full stop there".

"We will now assess where we have to go. All the stories you hear that we are now going to do another leapfrog, etc. we haven't come to that conclusion," he said.

Puri let loose at the critics of E20, who have been voicing concerns over the fuel's alleged adverse impact on older petrol engines. Automakers had initially said E20 had not been tested for compatibility with older vehicles but later backtracked to say it was OK.

"All the stories you hear about biofuels being harmful for engines, there's a lot of 'BS' - 'B' capital, 'S' capital," he said at an industry event. Though he did not specify, the BS obviously implied a cuss word for 'rubbish'.

An inter ministerial committee is currently looking at taking ethanol blending of petrol to 30% 2030.