NT Reporter
Margao
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has ruled out a return to E10 petrol, saying the government will stick to its roadmap for a 20% ethanol blend under E20.
Dismissing claims of vehicle compatibility issues as a “systematic campaign against the government”, Puri said the transition was technically sound despite some older vehicles experiencing problems.
Speaking on the sidelines of an energy event in the state on Tuesday, Puri said India faced no pressure from the United States over its procurement of crude oil from Russia. He said that the country’s energy decisions remained independent and commercially driven. The minister said the US was also purchasing diesel from Russia.
“I never felt any pressure,” Puri told reporters, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was guided by national interest and welfare of the Indian population. He also said lower global petroleum prices would serve the broader economic interests of the US.
The minister said Indian refiners would continue to source crude oil from global markets based on affordability and competitive commercial terms.
On E20 petrol, Puri said the ethanol-blending programme had helped save foreign exchange while advancing the country’s biofuel ambitions.
He said that although some older vehicles had faced issues, the number of vehicles refuelling every day was so large that there should have been a beeline of damaged vehicles if compatibility problems were widespread. He said minor contamination issues caused by faulty transportation had been reported but had already been rectified.
Puri also outlined plans to expand India’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure. The government aims to gradually move consumers from traditional liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to piped natural gas (PNG) networks as part of its longer-term energy transition.
Puri said India had been trying to phase out kerosene as a cooking fuel while shifting towards LNG, PNG and other alternatives.
The minister also said the government was working to reduce the cost of green hydrogen, which currently stood at around $3.5 per kg. Lower prices could help transform the country’s transportation system, he said.
