HPCL, the pioneering oil marketing company in India, is spearheading research efforts at its R&D Centre in Devanagunthi, Bengaluru, focusing on biofuels. The centre’s dedicated team is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of different ethanol-gasoline blends, ranging from 10 to 27 per cent, with a primary emphasis on performance and effects. As part of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas initiatives, HPCL has taken the lead in launching an extensive research programme aligned with the ‘Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India by 2025’.
The roadmap seeks to accelerate the adoption of ethanol blending in gasoline, paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future. It sets forth a phased rollout plan, targeting the achievement of 20 per cent Ethanol Blended Gasoline (E20) by April 2023, followed by widespread availability by April 2025. The roadmap also outlines the introduction of E20 material-compliant and E10 engine-tuned vehicles starting from April 2023, with the subsequent production of E20-tuned engine vehicles from April 2025.
At the HPCL R&D Centre, the dedicated team is rigorously evaluating the performance and effects of different blends of ethanol-gasoline, ranging from 10 to 27 per cent. Additionally, they are exploring various blends of ethanol-diesel on different categories of test vehicles at the Engine Research laboratory. Initial studies on vehicles fuelled with E27 have demonstrated significant reductions in emissions, such as CO and THC, compared to traditional gasoline. As part of the pilot launch, HPCL plans to evaluate ethanol-diesel trials on passenger cars, aiming to accumulate a targeted mileage of 20,000 km in the initial phase.
The pilot study of E27 fuel will focus on assessing its performance and emissions in engines and vehicles through extended mileage accumulation. The plan entails accumulating up to 10,000 km for two-wheelers and 20,000 km for passenger cars using E27 fuel. Concurrently, ethanol trials in accordance with IS 1460:2017 fuel specifications will be conducted in conjunction with bio-diesel. In February 2023, HPCL successfully introduced E20 fuel at 23 retail outlets across the country. Currently, the number of E20 retail outlets stands at 350, spanning 21 states in India.
