Ethanol Blending Hits 14.6%, Saving Rs 750 Billion in Forex Since 2018

04 Dec 2024 CW Team

Ethanol blending in petrol reached a record 14.6 per cent during the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2023-24, with over 7 billion litres of ethanol blended, representing a notable rise from 5 per cent and 1.88 billion litres in ESY 2018-19. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi, informed the Rajya Sabha about this development. He noted that the government’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme had achieved nationwide coverage across all retail outlets as of 2024, up from 43,168 outlets in 2019.

According to data provided by the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), the EBP Programme has resulted in foreign exchange savings of Rs 750 billion since 2018. The annual savings have grown from Rs 55 billion in ESY 2018-19 to Rs 284 billion in ESY 2023-24 (as of September 2024).

The programme has facilitated payments of Rs 575.52 billion to farmers over the last three years, with sugarcane farmers being the primary beneficiaries. It has also helped replace 110 lakh metric tonne of crude oil and reduced net CO2 emissions by approximately 332 lakh metric tonnes during this period.

To enhance ethanol blending, the government has introduced measures such as expanding the range of feedstocks for ethanol production, setting administered price mechanisms for cane-based ethanol, and implementing Ethanol Interest Subvention Schemes (EISS). Furthermore, Long-Term Offtake Agreements (LTOAs) between oil marketing companies (OMCs) and dedicated ethanol plants (DEPs) have provided additional support for the initiative.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Mar 2026

Flender Inaugurates Wind Gearbox Test Rig In Chennai

Chennai, 6 March 2026: Flender has inaugurated a 13.5 MW wind turbine gearbox test rig at its Walajabad facility near Chennai, marking the installation of the largest test rig of its kind in India. The facility was inaugurated on 5 March in the presence of Andreas Evertz, CEO, Flender Group; Lars Wiegemann, Vice President – Wind Gears; and Vinod Shetty, CEO, Flender India.The test rig has been developed to support testing and validation of wind turbine gearboxes, strengthening the company’s capabilities in the renewable energy sector. The commissioning was completed within three months thr..

BMW Industries partners with IOCL for PNG supply at Bokaro plant

BMW Industries has entered into a strategic partnership with Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) for the supply of Piped Natural Gas (PNG), reinforcing its commitment to adopting cleaner and more efficient energy sources for its operations.The agreement was signed at the Eastern Region Pipelines (ERPL) headquarters in Kolkata. The partnership is expected to support the company’s upcoming manufacturing facility in Bokaro by facilitating the use of natural gas as a primary energy source.According to the company, the adoption of PNG will help enhance operational efficiency while also contributing to ..

Bombay Realty Secures RERA for Three ICC Tower in South Mumbai

Bombay Realty, the real estate arm of Bombay Dyeing and part of the Wadia Group, has received Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) certification for Three ICC – Wing A, the latest luxury residential tower at Island City Center in Mumbai’s Dadar.The RERA registration marks a key milestone in the development timeline and reinforces the company’s focus on regulatory transparency, timely project delivery, and high construction standards.Following the success of One ICC and Two ICC, the upcoming Three ICC tower represents the next phase of the Island City Center development. The project ai..