- Supreme Court heard BPCL's ethanol allocation challenge.
- Centre admitted E20 blending is an ongoing experiment.
- Admission sparked controversy over vehicle performance concerns.
A Supreme Court hearing on a plea filed by state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), challenging a Karnataka High Court order regarding ethanol allocation for the 2025-26 supply year, triggered a fresh controversy on Tuesday.
The row erupted after the Centre told the top court that ethanol blending is an ongoing experiment, results of which are expected next year.
What's the case?
The case started after an ethanol manufacturing unit approached the Karnataka High Court, challenging low allocation. According to it, out of its 9.9 crore litre production capacity, it was allocated only 3.92 crore litres for the supply year 2025-26.
The Karnataka High Court decided the matter in favour of the distilleries and directed the oil marketing company Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to consider increasing the allocation.
BPCL moved to the apex court against the High Court order. Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the government and BPCL, argued that the High Court order could destabilise the national policy of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol, according to news agency PTI.
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The top court ordered a status quo on allocation, reverting the High Court decision. However, Venkatramani's argument regarding the ongoing experimental phase of E20 blending has sparked fresh controversy, especially at a time when there have been concerns over reduced mileage, corrosion, wear and tear and clogging among others.
However, the government has persistently ruled out any such possibility. After the Centre's admission, social media is once again flooded with reactions, with people pointing out ambiguity over the scientific evidence. Moreover, people have alleged a drop in mileage and an extened load on their pockets in social media posts, questioning if the said experiment was being carried out on their vehicles.
Achieving the target before time, E85 plans
Notably, the government amended the National Policy on Biofuels in 2022 and announced a gradual blending of ethanol into petrol. The target was to increase ethanol blending to 12.06 per cent in 2022-2023, 14.6 per cent in 2023-24, and 17.98 per cent by February 2025. However, the Centre outperformed its estimates and achieved the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending well before time.
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Even as scepticism persists on ethanol blending and its impact on vehicles' efficiency and consumers' pockets, the Centre is said to be planning to ramp up the blending to up to 85 per cent, but with flex fuel engines. However, no official decision has been made yet.