Shocker: Random sampling reveals 31% ethanol in petrol, way above the 20% limit
Karnataka says petrol samples from IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara and Shell had up to 31.2% ethanol, against the 20% E20 limit. Read the full details here
PTC Web Desk: The Karnataka government has claimed that petrol sold at pumps in the state contains much more ethanol than the 20% allowed under the E20 rule. It says the extra blending could be costing vehicle owners money.
How the tests were done
The state collected 63 petrol samples from oil companies such as IOCL, HPCL and Shell at different places in Karnataka. It first sent the samples to the companies’ own labs, along with a list of questions. One of them asked for the exact ethanol content in each sample.
According to the government, the companies did not give clear answers. That made officials suspicious, so they sent the samples to private labs for independent testing.
The tests were done by the Bengaluru-based Shriram Research Institute, which is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and is ISO-certified. Samples from seven districts, including Bengaluru Urban, reportedly showed ethanol above 20%.
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What the lab found
“It’s not E20 fuel,” the state said in a press release, adding that ethanol was 31.2% at IOCL, 30.5% at HPCL, 26.5% at BPCL, 26.1% at Nayara and 25.5% at Shell.
In simple terms, E20 petrol should have 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. HPCL’s MS-Power petrol was found to have 30.5% ethanol, while another HPCL grade, MS, had 27%. BPCL’s Speed petrol showed 26.5%.
Some other samples were closer to the limit or below it:
Two BPCL samples had 24.2% and 22.6% ethanol
Another HPCL sample had 22.4%
An IOCL sample had 20.8%
A Nayara sample had 20.6%
A BPCL sample had 19.9%
A Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) sample had 19.2%
A Shell sample had just 13.5%
Demand for compensation
Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad has asked the Centre to set up a compensation fund for vehicle owners. He said people may be losing money due to lower mileage and higher repair and servicing bills.
The state put some numbers on it. If mileage falls by 10%, motorists could lose Rs 62,000 crore every year. Another Rs 39,000 crore could go into extra vehicle servicing costs.
The government also said the Centre should openly tell people how much ethanol is actually being mixed in the petrol they buy.