New Delhi: The government’s ethanol blending programme has triggered a countrywide debate and led to demands that the decision to introduce petrol with 20 per cent ethanol be rolled back.
Vehicle owners and other stakeholders in the automobile industry, as well as Opposition parties are flagging the negatives of E20 petrol, like it reduces fuel efficiency by 3% to 10%, and can also corrode rubber and plastic parts in older, non-compliant vehicles and absorb moisture leading to tank rust.
Amid the raging E20 petrol controversy, there has been talk of the Centre planning to blend ethanol with Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal escalated the issue on Thursday by claiming that the government was planning ethanol blending in aviation fuel, alleging that such a move could endanger air safety and put passengers at risk.
The BJP was quick to reject the charge, with BJP IT department head Amit Malviya accusing Kejriwal of spreading fear through misinformation.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) clarified on behalf of the government that the reports were “completely false and irresponsible”.
Civil Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a statement that spreading incorrect information about aviation fuel could create unnecessary concern among air travellers.
“The claim that the Government plans to blend ethanol with Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is completely false and irresponsible. There is no such proposal,” Naidu made it clear.
According to the minister, ethanol and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) are two completely different fuels and should not be confused with each other.
SAF is an internationally recognised aviation fuel that has been certified for use in aircraft, and is approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Naidu pointed out.
He further said that Sustainable Aviation Fuel is subject to rigorous testing and meets strict international safety standards before it can be used in aircraft.
The minister reiterated that passenger safety remains the government’s highest priority, and any decision related to aviation fuel will always be based on internationally accepted safety standards and scientific evaluation.
