Fact Check: E100 Fuel Norms Approved; Is 100% Ethanol The Same As Sugarcane Juice?

Can We Use Sugarcane Juice As Fuel In India:  The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, recently approved regulations for E100 fuel in the country. With this move, the government has paved the way for flex-fuel vehicles that can run on E100 fuel. While the government is heavily pushing the adoption of ethanol in India, the move has also triggered a wave of rumors, memes, and genuine confusion on social media. Many are jokingly asking a literal question: Is 100 per cent ethanol just concentrated sugarcane juice?

What Is E100?

E100 is a rating for a fuel type that contains 100 per cent of ethanol. Notably, the E in the rating stands for Ethanol, whereas 100 stands for the percentage of ethanol in the fuel. Following the success of India’s E20 programme, the government is now aiming to enhance its energy security by soon rolling out E22, E25, E27, E30, E85, and E100 fuel types across the country.

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Is E100 The Same As Sugarcane Juice?

No, E100 fuel is not the same as concentrated sugarcane juice. E100 fuel is derived from sugarcane, but it goes through an extensive fermentation and industrial processing so that it can power an engine. E100 fuel is toxic in nature, and it is produced from the molasses of sugarcane. The molasses are fermented, and then they go through a distillation process to purify the mixture and concentrate the alcohol. Lastly, this mixture is purified to remove almost all of its water content, and the output is 100 per cent Ethanol.

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E100 Fuel Norms Approved: What Does It Mean?

As mentioned earlier, the E100 fuel has been officially approved by the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently. Gadkari recently made an announcement and shared that he has signed the regulations authorizing the use of E100 fuel in the country. This essentially means that the framework is now in place, and retailers, along with testing agencies and automakers, can begin the testing for the E100 fuel and the commercial rollout of flex-fuel vehicles that are compatible with E100 fuel.