Government halts ethanol-blended diesel plans after safety test failure

The Indian government has officially halted plans to implement ethanol blending in diesel fuel. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi informed Parliament that tests conducted by public sector oil marketing companies found that ethanol-blended diesel fails to meet essential safety standards. Specifically, the addition of ethanol causes a significant reduction in the flash point of the fuel, which is the minimum temperature at which a liquid creates enough vapor to ignite in the presence of a flame.

This decision marks a setback for the government's broader energy strategy, which has already successfully implemented ethanol blending in petrol across the country. While the government continues to explore ethanol use for other applications, such as cooking fuel, the findings from these scientific and technical studies have led to the immediate suspension of the diesel initiative. Oil marketing companies had previously procured large volumes of ethanol in anticipation of the blending program.