Discussions continue in the country regarding E20 gasoline mixed with ethanol. Citizens complain that using this fuel has led to reduced fuel consumption in their vehicles and malfunctions in engine components. Taking these complaints into account, the government is actively preparing for changes.
The government now intends to tighten requirements not only on the percentage of ethanol in gasoline but also on its quality. Recently, reports have emerged of chloride and moisture levels in the gasoline exceeding more than 3 parts per million (PPM), raising concerns among automakers about the failure of certain vehicle parts.
In response, the government is considering establishing mandatory limits for chlorides and other pollutants in E20 gasoline. This is the next step after achieving the target blending rate of 20 percent, and the current task is to ensure the delivery of fuel meeting established standards to gas stations.
According to media reports, following complaints about auto part failures and the detection of high levels of chlorides and moisture in the gasoline, the government plans to tighten quality standards for oil refining companies and other agencies involved in automotive fuel. The goal of these measures is to prevent any impurities in the fuel and ensure public access to high-quality fuel.
The government may make it mandatory to maintain chloride content within established norms for all agencies, including Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and other structures participating in the automotive fuel supply system. Under current regulations, the chloride content in E20 gasoline must be below 3 PPM. Currently, this limit is part of a voluntary quality standard, but work is underway to make it mandatory.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is responsible for determining fuel quality standards, is working on this issue. According to a government official quoted in the ET report, 'the government wants to make the established limits for various pollutants in the fuel mandatory. This will help better control the quality of E20 gasoline and ensure the delivery of clean fuel to gas stations.'
These actions are being taken as automakers have expressed concern over the quality of E20 gasoline. Automotive companies have presented cases where E20 gasoline supplied in some areas had elevated levels of chlorides and moisture. Companies argue that such contaminated fuel can negatively affect certain vehicle components and increase the likelihood of their failure.
In several instances, samples of gasoline taken from vehicle fuel tanks showed significantly higher chloride content than the established limit. This has heightened concerns about the quality of E20 gasoline, prompting the government to pay more attention not only to the gasoline's blend percentage but also to its quality and the presence of contaminants.