India is following Brazil’s steps and increasing the ethanol blending mandate in the country.
Brazil began commercial ethanol blending in gasoline in the 1970s, as a response to the sudden increase in crude oil prices, and with a view to reduce the country’s dependency on imported petroleum.
In the 1970s the US began commercial ethanol blending petroleum for the same reasons as Brazil.
Today, together with the US, Brazil is one of the major ethanol producers in the world – a fact that also influenced its ethanol-petroleum blending decision.
India is a net importer of crude oil, commonly from the Middle East, and ethanol is less expensive than other octane enhancers.
Ethanol is indeed used as an octane enhancer for petroleum and its use was promoted to mitigate the use of lead in gasoline.
By using ethanol as an oxygenate, carbon monoxide and other emissions can be controlled. In addition, ethanol has physicochemical properties that make it compatible with petroleum.
Promoting ethanol blending in petroleum is also intended to boost India's agricultural and industrial economic sectors.
