Social media posts have pointed out that the calorific value of ethanol is 29.7 as compared to 46.4 of petrol, and so the energy produced per litre is 65 per cent of petrol. E10 is petrol mixed with 10 per cent ethanol.”The efficiency drop (if any) in E10 vehicles has been marginal. For some manufacturers, vehicles have been E20 compatible from as far back as 2009. The question of any drop in fuel efficiency in such vehicles does not arise,” the ministry said on Tuesday.Social media posts also cite June 2021 Niti Aayog report to state that E20/E27 in E10 cars degrades rubber/plastic, corrodes metal, harms fuel systems, cuts mileage and may lead to the need for part upgrades.”Vehicle mileage is influenced by a variety of factors beyond just fuel type. These include driving habits, maintenance practices such as oil changes and air filter cleanliness, tyre pressure and alignment, and even air conditioning load,” it said.It said a study on life cycle emissions of ethanol done by NITI Aayog has said that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in case of use of sugarcane and maize based ethanol are less by 65 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively than those of petrol.”In addition to pollution reduction, there have been transformative benefits in terms of benefits to the rural economy, elimination of sugarcane arrears and improving the viability of maize cultivation in the country,” it said.The statement said during the last 11 years ethanol blending in petrol by public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) has resulted in savings/conservation of more than Rs 1.44 lakh crore of foreign exchange, crude oil substitution of about 245 lakh tonnes and CO2 emission reduction of 736 lakh tonnes, the equivalent of planting 30 crore trees.At 20 per cent blending, it is expected that payment to the farmers in this year alone will be Rs 40,000 crore and forex savings will be around Rs 43,000 crore, it said.”Concerns related to performance and mileage being raised now were anticipated as early as 2020 by the Government and an Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) of the NITI Aayog examined them at length,” the ministry said.
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