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

06 Jul 2026

ABS Marine Sees CRISIL Credit Rating Upgrade

ABS Marine Services has secured an upgrade to its long term and short term credit ratings from CRISIL, reflecting improved profitability and revenue growth through long term contracts. CRISIL moved the long term rating from BBB+/Stable to A-/Stable and revised the short term rating from A2 to A2+. The action signals strengthened financial metrics and operational resilience. The company benefited from durable client relationships with firms such as ONGC and Schlumberger. The rating decision followed stronger cash flows and an enlarged bank loan facility, which increased from Rs 3,705 million (m..

Project BRAHMANK Marks 16 Years Of Strategic Roads In Arunachal

Project BRAHMANK is marking 16 years of work to establish strategic road and bridge links across Arunachal Pradesh, maintaining and developing 811 kilometres of roads and nearly 86 bridges that range from small culverts to large steel and arch bridges. These transport links are described as critical for ensuring year-round movement of defence personnel, equipment and essential supplies while improving everyday travel for people in remote villages. The project balances national security requirements with regional development by focusing on reliable access in challenging terrain. Notable enginee..

Longleng CSOs Give One Week Ultimatum Over Two-Lane Highway

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Longleng district have demanded immediate restoration of the deteriorating Changtongya–Longleng two-lane road and sought a detailed status report on the stalled construction within one week. The demand followed a consultative meeting convened under the Phom Peoples' Council (PPC) to discuss welfare and development concerns. PPC president YB Angam Phom said prolonged non-maintenance had caused hardship to commuters and affected transportation, local commerce and the district's development. The meeting urged authorities to undertake immediate restoration a..