Ethanol-blended diesel fails safety test, says govt; wider use ruled out for now

NEW DELHI: Ethanol-blended diesel has failed the required safety specifications because the addition of ethanol causes a sharp fall in the fuel's flash point, potentially limiting its use unless the technical issue is addressed, the government told Parliament on Monday. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said public-sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) had tested ethanol-diesel blends through their research and development centres, working with accredited laboratories and automobile manufacturers.

"Scientific evaluations on blending of ethanol with diesel have been undertaken by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) through their respective R&D centres in collaboration with accredited laboratories and automobile manufacturers. It was observed that ethanol blended diesel was not meeting diesel flash point as its flash point lowered drastically due to the presence of ethanol," he said in a written reply, as quoted by PTI. The findings come as India looks to expand the use of ethanol as a transport fuel and create additional demand for growing domestic production.