The complex process of developing biofuel is one of the biggest growth markets for pressure relief valves, as the fermentation, processing, manufacturing and storage all require tanks that can manage the varying pressures and channel a mix of byproducts.
As with a lot of sustainability drives, the adoption of more sustainable fuel blends varies by region. Whilst Brazil has had an effective biofuel infrastructure in place since the 1970s, other countries have limited themselves to relatively dilute concentrations such as E5 or E10.
This made the accelerated rollout of E20 fuel in India, as reported by Autocar India, somewhat remarkable, particularly given that it arrived five years ahead of its estimated target.
How did this happen, why was there such a push to increasingly rely on biofuel, and are there any unintended side effects of the accelerated rollout?
What Is E20 Petrol?
Many biofuels available today are blended with conventional petrol to provide a more sustainable type of fuel that can be used either without modification or with only minor modifications.
An E20 petrol is a blend that consists of 80 per cent petrol and 20 per cent ethanol, twice the amount of the E10 petrol that is standard in the United Kingdom and many other countries that have focused on compatible fuel blends.
Why Use E20 Petrol?
The greater the concentration of sustainable biofuel used, the less reliance there is on fossil fuels, which means lower carbon emissions both at the point of use and in the extraction and transportation processes.
With road transport demand in India set to double by 2050, according to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, the only way to reduce carbon emissions and make net zero even remotely possible is through somewhat more ambitious and radical means.
This meant that, rather than maintaining a range of ethanol blends, E20 is the standard petrol available throughout India, and any car bought in the last year is designed to run on it.
It offers better acceleration and a smoother ride compared to petrol, making it better for city driving conditions, even without considering the lower emissions.
Beyond this, it helps reduce the country’s reliance on imports of crude oil and petrol, whilst at the same time supporting the Indian agricultural sector.
In the 11 years since ethanol blending was first introduced, it has saved over 1.36 trillion rupees (£11.5bn), with the radical move set to save the country even more money as the country counts the cost of 50 per cent tariffs to export to the United States.
The Indian Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas also noted in a press response that they intend to go further, with E25, E27 and even E30 blends proposed to be rolled out in a “carefully calibrated way”.
What Are The Concerns Surrounding E20?
One of the reasons why many countries opt for a more conservative E10 blend is that any greater concentration of biofuel may put a strain on the seals, valves and certain smaller engine components, with E20 seen as perhaps beyond the upper limit before cars start to break down.
Ethanol is more corrosive than petrol, and so it can increase the strain and wear on the engine, particularly the rubber, plastic and some metal parts. It can also loosen and transport deposits within the fuel system, potentially causing blockages.
Any new car sold in India since 2024 will be fine, but older cars may potentially lead to issues.
As well as this, bioethanol has lower energy density than petrol, meaning that a tank of E20 could potentially lead to lower mileage. However, this claim has been disputed, with the Indian Ministry for Petroleum claiming that the criticisms were “misplaced”.
Some of these issues are being fixed by manufacturers themselves; Maruti Suzuki has offered an E20 conversion kit for 6,000 rupees (£51) that would replace potentially vulnerable components.
However, drivers in India using non-compliant cars have shared issues with lower mileage and potential violations of car insurance plans.
All of these issues are byproducts of the rushed launch of the policy, but there are also concerns regarding the origins of the bioethanol itself.
Whilst it is sustainably sourced from sugarcane using a process similar to that found in Brazil, as well as maize and rice, this has itself led to concerns that food crops are being diverted for use in fuel production, potentially replacing energy security issues with food security problems.
This, in turn, replaces one sustainability issue with another, but there are potential ways to transition towards waste-based biofuels and biofuels developed from non-food sources.
