E20 petrol ‘well within’ quality limits, oil companies dismiss contamination concerns after nationwide tests

Nationwide testing of E20 discovered no evidence to support claims of high moisture or chloride contamination in ethanol, as per the companies' statement.

State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Friday said nationwide tests of E20 petrol found no evidence of high moisture or chloride contamination, challenging concerns over the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy.

According to the test reports, fuel quality remained within prescribed limits across the supply chain. (PTI)

According to the test reports, fuel quality remained within prescribed limits across the supply chain, as concerns persist over the suitability of blended fuel for older vehicles and its impact on mileage.

‘Fuel quality remains within limits’

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) said the Centre had prescribed specifications for chloride content in ethanol used for blending.

As per the statement, high-frequency monitoring was implemented at refineries, distilleries, depots, terminals and retail outlets in order to ensure compliance. In addition, quality surveillance has been strengthened by conducting water-ingress and density tests 8-12 times a day at every retail outlet, deploying mobile fuel quality testing laboratories and independently validating results through fuel laboratories.

Hence, the three companies revealed that the exercise covered the entire supply chain and emphasised how fuel quality remains "consistently well within prescribed limits".

PPM levels within permissible limits

More than 100 additional petrol samples collected from refineries showed chloride levels at or below 1 part per million (ppm), while ethanol samples from 80 distilleries tested over the past 10 days recorded chloride content below 3 ppm. More than 80 samples collected from depots and terminals across the country also showed chloride content below 3 ppm, OMCs said.

At retail outlets, more than 160 E20 samples tested over the past few days recorded chloride levels in the 0-3 ppm range, "contrary to the claims of several hundred ppm," OMCs said. Only two isolated instances of elevated chloride levels were discovered where supplies were immediately suspended pending root-cause analysis and corrective action before restoration could be permitted.

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"Contrary to certain assertions being made, there is no evidence of any alarm on account of fuel contamination validated by extensive and scientifically designed tests," the statement added.

“Consumers should continue to use E20 petrol with confidence, as the fuel supplied through the OMC network conforms to the prescribed quality specifications and is backed by robust quality assurance and monitoring systems designed to safeguard consumer interests at every stage of the supply chain.”

Hardeep Singh Puri backs E20 policy

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, also backed the Centre's fuel-blending policy while addressing a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event earlier on Friday. He accused certain people of attempting to “create some controversy” around the government's fuel blending policy.

Puri revealed that designated teams had conducted intensified testing across fuel retail outlets about two weeks before a letter dated July 28 raised concerns over fuel quality. "They formed crack teams... What did they find? They found four cases out of 107,000 petrol pumps... So obviously, someone out there is trying to place some things out of context," he said.

The minister said India has about 107,000 fuel retail outlets serving an estimated 6-7 crore customers a day. He insisted on how even though contamination could occur in certain blocks, it should be viewed as an isolated case rather than a systemic issue.