No E found in IIT Kanpur’s research
Amid concerns over the nationwide rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20), researchers at IIT Kanpur on Tuesday claimed that their study has found no significant drop in fuel efficiency and there is “no evidence” that E20 harms the engines of existing or older vehicles.
The reported findings follow the oil ministry’s clarification last week that E20 can reduce mileage by up to 5 percent in some vehicles, but the impact is offset by a number of benefits including lower lifecycle carbon emissions.
Dhruv Raj Kairana, project scientist of the Engine Research Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, claimed that according to research conducted at the institute, the reduction in fuel efficiency with E20 fuel is less than 5 percent.
He told PTI that the reduction of up to 5 per cent could be due to factors other than fuel and a similar result could be obtained “even if the test is repeated back to back with pure petrol”.
Carranza further said that “extensive testing” has shown that E20 does not cause engine damage, corrosion or other technical problems.
He dismissed claims on social media that E20 harms vehicles as “scientifically unfounded” and advised motorists to rely on their vehicle manufacturer’s manuals and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas guidelines rather than unverified online posts.
Kairana also told PTI that IIT-Kanpur’s Engine Research Laboratory, headed by Professor Avinash Kumar Aggarwal, is conducting extensive research on ethanol-blended fuel.
The team has also successfully tested E85 fuel, which contains 85 percent ethanol, although such higher blends require specially designed engines and compatible fuel systems.
He claimed that the institute’s study also did not find any significant drop in fuel efficiency due to E20. Any change in mileage is more influenced by driving habits, road conditions and vehicle maintenance than fuel, he said.
In a detailed question-and-answer document released recently to respond to criticism of the ethanol blended petrol programme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that E20 was a “cleaner, higher quality and more efficient fuel” than E10 or pure petrol and was introduced only after “years of scientific testing, consultation with automobile manufacturers and expansion of domestic ethanol production”.
