Ethanol Blend Cuts Petrol Prices by 23%, Claims Centre

The Centre has defended its ethanol blending programme, which has seen petrol prices in Delhi rise to Rs 102.12 per litre due to E20 fuel. This is despite global crude oil prices surging to $135 per barrel, according to a government press release.

The ministry claimed that if the oil marketing companies had not blended ethanol with petrol, consumers would have paid Rs 125 per litre for petrol in Delhi.

The Petroleum Ministry stated that ethanol blending helped cushion consumers from the sharp rise in international crude oil prices, claiming that motorists saved nearly Rs 30 per litre at the peak of the global energy crisis.