New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) On the occasion of World Environment Day 2026 on Friday, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri launched E85 fuel at an IndianOil retail outlet in New Delhi, formally beginning the nationwide rollout of the high-ethanol blended fuel for flex-fuel vehicles.

The launch marks the first phase of the programme, with E85 fuel now available at 48 retail outlets operated by public sector oil marketing companies.

The government plans to expand availability to 500 retail outlets by December 2026 and around 5,000 outlets by December 2027.

The initiative is expected to help raise India’s overall ethanol blending level to nearly 26 per cent by 2030-31.

E85 is a high-ethanol fuel containing 80-85 per cent ethanol and 14-19 per cent petrol. It is designed specifically for flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can operate on varying ethanol blends ranging from E20 to E100, offering consumers greater flexibility while promoting cleaner mobility solutions.

Addressing the event, Puri said India has successfully balanced the “energy trilemma” of availability, affordability and sustainability while ensuring stable fuel supplies and shielding consumers from global energy price volatility. He also noted that India has witnessed one of the lowest increases in fuel prices since February 2026.

The minister highlighted the country’s rapid progress in ethanol blending, which has risen from 1.53 per cent in 2014 to 20 per cent currently, achieving the target five years ahead of schedule. According to him, the ethanol blending programme has helped save more than Rs 1.84 lakh crore in foreign exchange and reduced crude oil imports by nearly 302 lakh metric tonnes.

Puri credited Indian farmers for the success of the programme, saying they have evolved from being the country’s “Annadatas” (food providers) to “Urjadatas” (energy providers) by contributing to domestic ethanol production.

The government has also positioned E85 as a cost-effective alternative to conventional fuels. Officials said E85 will be priced nearly Rs 20 per litre lower than petrol, enabling consumers to benefit from the economic advantages of domestically produced ethanol.

In a post on social media platform X, Puri described the launch as a historic step towards a greener and more sustainable future under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He noted that the launch follows the introduction of motorcycles compatible with E20 to E85 fuel blends and four-wheelers capable of running on blends up to E100.

The minister said the “100 per cent Aatmanirbhar” E85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 61 per cent compared with petrol.

–IANS

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