New Delhi: The government has notified a new standard for high ethanol-petrol blends – E22, E25, E27 and E30 fuels – paving the way for ethanol blending in petrol above the current 20% level. The government has pushed to increase ethanol blending amid reports of availability of surplus ethanol and reduced crude oil imports due to conflict in West Asia, which has hit the energy supply chain. The new BIS standard published on May 15 sets out specifications for fuel blends made by mixing completely free-water (anhydrous) ethanol with motor gasoline for use in “positive ignition engine-powered vehicles”, or petrol-powered vehicles. The standard has defined technical and quality parameters, such as composition, blending requirements, permissible impurity levels, test methods and safety criteria.Meanwhile, amid concerns over the impact the use of E25 (25% blend in petrol) will have on existing vehicles in terms of mileage and engine life, the Petroleum Ministry has tasked the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to conduct a detailed study on vehicles that are currently compliant with E10 and E20. Most existing vehicles are fully E10 compliant, as fully E20-compliant vehicles will only hit the market after April 2025. Experts said the notified fuel norms for various grades of ethanol and the ARAI study for E25 may provide enough room for the government to increase the blending by more than 20%, though less than 25%, in the near future to utilize the surplus availability of ethanol. TOI has learned that in an inter-ministerial group meeting last week, BIS said adding additional 1% ethanol over the existing 20% ​​in petrol would not be an issue. “But considering that increasing the blend to 25% would be a significant jump, ARAI will now conduct the study using E10 and E20 compliant vehicles,” an official said. The All India Distillers Association (AIDA) described the government’s move as an “important and timely step” towards advancing India’s ethanol blending program and reducing dependence on crude oil imports. People aware of the developments said there is a need to assess the engine life and performance (mileage) of vehicles not designed for higher ethanol blends, their emissions and upfront and recurring costs. As per best practices, vehicle samples should be driven for 60,000-70,000 km for proper evaluation.