Govt denies any commitment to import US ethanol for fuel blending

The government on Thursday said it has made no concession or commitment to import ethanol from the United States for fuel blending, dismissing media reports suggesting that India was planning large-scale imports of the biofuel as "baseless and factually incorrect".

In a statement, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said ethanol used under India's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme continues to be sourced entirely from domestic producers and there is no import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US.

"There is no import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US," the ministry said.

It also clarified that no concessions or commitments relating to ethanol imports had been made during the ongoing India-US trade negotiations.

"Any suggestion of a policy change to permit large-scale imports of fuel ethanol from the US is misleading. India's fuel blending programme and ethanol procurement continues to be governed solely by India's domestic policy requirements," it said.

The clarification comes amid negotiations between India and the US on a bilateral trade agreement aimed at expanding market access and reducing trade barriers.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that the Centre was promoting ethanol-blended fuel under pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu rejected as "completely false and irresponsible" claims that the government was planning to blend ethanol with Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).

Naidu said there was no such proposal and stressed that ethanol and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) are "entirely different" fuels and should not be conflated.

He said SAF is an internationally certified aviation fuel recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and adopted globally after undergoing rigorous testing and meeting stringent safety standards.

"Spreading misinformation on aviation safety only creates needless anxiety among air travellers. Passenger safety remains the Government's highest priority," the minister said.