Business News›Prime›Energy›As India pads up for an E20 innings, ethanol supply can make or break its flex fuel dreams.

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Energy security

As India pads up for an E20 innings, ethanol supply can make or break its flex fuel dreams.

A Toyota car based on ethanol fuel at Auto Expo 2023

Synopsis
India will roll out E20 flex fuel, or petrol blended with 20% ethanol, in April. But a reality check reveals that ethanol supply for blending still faces constraints. Although India produces a lot of ethanol, distilleries get a big chunk as liquor is a major revenue source for states. Can India’s efforts to decarbonise the transport sector change this?

In 1826, when independent efforts by Henry Hennel in Great Britain and SG Sérullas in France gave the world its first synthetically prepared ethanol, little did anyone know that one day the chemical compound would become much more than an intoxicating ingredient used for making alcoholic beverages. Ethanol was used as lamp fuel in the pre-Civil War time in the US and also powered early Model T cars. But it couldn’t compete with petroleum