I am reasonably confident that 20 per cent ethanol blending target will be completed by 2025: Hardeep Singh Puri
New Delhi: Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, announced the increase in oil production from the 98/2 well to 45,000 barrels per day and affirmed India’s achievement of 15% ethanol blending, targeting 20% by 2025. According to PPAC, E20 petrol is now available at 13,569 PSU outlets. India requires 1,350 crore liters of ethanol for 2025, necessitating a production capacity of 1,700 crore liters .
Bhartiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday assumed charge as the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the Modi 3.0 government.
After taking the charge, he said, “Oil production from the 98/2 well will increase to 45,000 barrels per day very soon and gas production will also start soon… We were able to cross 15 per cent of ethanol blending. As you know, the Prime Minister had set a target of 20 per cent blending by 2030…On the basis of what I have seen and the basis of the work in progress, I am reasonably confident that the 20 per cent blending target, which was brought forward from 2030 to 2025, will be completed by 2025.”
“As you know, the Prime Minister had set a target of 20 pre-blending by 2030. In the month of May only, we have crossed the mark of 15 per cent ethanol blending,” minister further added.
Additionally, according to the latest Ready Reckoner report from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), India is on track to achieve 20% blending by 2025, and E20 petrol is already available at 13,569 PSU outlets out of 81,529 total PSU Retail Outlets as of 30/04/2024. Successful Pilot Studies on E27 Fuel and Ethanol Blended Diesel Fuel have also taken place in the country.
To achieve the target of 20% blending by 2025, about 1016 crore litres of ethanol are required, and the total requirement of ethanol including for other uses is 1350 crore litres. For this, about 1700 crore liters of ethanol-producing capacity are required to be in place by 2025, considering the plant operates at 80% efficiency. The Government has estimated the demand for ethanol required for 20% blending by 2025, keeping in view the growth of petrol-based vehicles in two-wheeler and passenger vehicle segments and the projected sale of Motor Spirit (MS).