Amid the ongoing debate over E20 fuel, E10 petrol could make a comeback at petrol pumps.There has been a growing demand to make the earlier E10 petrol available alongside E20. However, the central government has repeatedly rejected the demand for several reasons. One of the biggest challenges is reportedly the storage tanks at petrol pumps.Now, the government may be considering an alternative solution. It is exploring whether branded fuels such as XP95, Speed, and Power95 could be sold using an E10 formulation.If approved, this could provide consumers with an E10 fuel option without requiring major changes to the existing petrol pump infrastructure.
According to a report by Mint, three people familiar with the discussions said that this approach could eliminate the need to create separate storage and dispensing infrastructure for E10 petrol.This could be particularly useful at a time when several customers who are hesitant about regular E20 petrol are already turning to high-octane fuels such as premium petrol.
A person familiar with the matter said:
“Several options are being considered to make E10 fuel more suitable for older vehicles and address customers’ concerns. One of the options under consideration is ‘Octane 95,’ which is sold at a premium price and could potentially be offered as E10 fuel.”
What Is Octane 95 Petrol?
Indian Oil’s XP95, BPCL’s SPEED, and HPCL’s Power95 are premium petrol products that generally cost around ₹8 to ₹13 more per litre than regular petrol.For example, if regular petrol in Delhi costs around ₹102 per litre, premium petrol may cost around ₹110 to ₹115 per litre. However, premium petrol does not mean it is ethanol-free. It can also contain around 15% to 20% ethanol.
The main difference between regular and premium petrol is their octane rating and the cleaning additives used. Regular petrol generally has an octane rating of around 91 RON, while premium petrol is rated at around 95 RON.Fuel with a higher octane rating can withstand higher pressure inside an engine before experiencing premature combustion, commonly known as knocking or detonation.
How Could Octane 95 Petrol Become E10?
Octane 95 petrol is already available at more than 90,000 petrol pumps across the country.Monty Sehgal, National Spokesperson of the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders, said, “For oil marketing companies (OMCs), making branded ‘95-octane’ fuel with 10% ethanol would be relatively easy. There would be no need to change the existing storage tanks or dispensing units.”
This means reducing the ethanol content in premium petrol to make it an E10 formulation would not be very difficult.However, it is still unclear how much more expensive this version of premium petrol would be. One thing is certain: if introduced, it would be cheaper than ethanol-free XP100, which currently costs around ₹167.35 per litre.
