Rising petrol prices may start touching the sky, but who can tell more than the common man what is the need for petrol and diesel in today's time? The daily commuting and all the work-business of daily life is so connected with petrol that it has now become an essential part of life. But the ever-increasing prices of petrol also force every person to watch his pocket. There was a time when petrol used to cost Rs 22 a litre and today it is reaching around Rs 115.
The question is, will this jump in the prices of an expensive commodity like petrol stop at some point? Recently, while addressing a gathering, the Union Minister of India, Nitin Gadkari gave such a statement regarding the rising prices of petrol, which surprised not only the media but the whole country.
The matter was like this. Nitin Gadkari, popular not only in the country but even abroad for his style of working and professional manner, had said – very soon the price of petrol will come down to Rs 15 a litre. He had so much to say that the focus of the whole country went on this statement of Gadkari.
He said that if 60 per cent ethanol and 40 per cent electricity is used shortly, the price of petrol will come down to Rs 15 a litre. Significantly, this was not a joke. The government has been working on ethanol blending for a long time. What if you need ethanol blending? Do not know about this, then tell that when ethanol is mixed in petrol, it is called ethanol blending. It is prepared with the help of the fermentation method.
Ethanol is made with the help of sludge or molasses coming out of sugar mills. Ethanol is also known as ethyl alcohol. Blending ethanol in petrol reduces carbon emissions. The Government of India had accomplished the target of 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol in June last year. At the same time, the government wants to meet the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol by 2025.
However, even after completing the target of 20 per cent, the Government of India will do ethanol blending in petrol shortly by 20 to 30, 30 to 40 per cent and even further. This will see a decline in the quantity of crude oil imported from Gulf countries every year, which will save our foreign exchange. You will be surprised to know that governments all over the world are adopting this new fuel option.
Significantly, changes are being made in the design of engines of bikes and cars to use ethanol blending fuel. Now these vehicles have also started appearing on the roads.
Recently Union Minister Nitin Gadkari introduced the country's first flex-fuel car. This car can run on petrol, diesel as well as ethanol.
It has been found in research that if E20 petrol (Ethanol Blending) is used in two-wheeler vehicles. In such a situation, carbon monoxide emissions can be reduced by up to 50 per cent. At the same time, using it in the car will reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 30 per cent.
(PC: iStock)
