The testing, conducted by the Shriram Research Institute on brands like Indian Oil, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara, and Shell, found blending levels significantly higher than the 20% threshold. Officials pointed out that 99% of the country's 35 crore vehicles lack the engineering required to run safely on these elevated fuel mixtures. State authorities also claimed that in-house testing reports from companies like IOCL and BPCL failed to disclose required ethanol data. In response, Karnataka is urging nationwide retail transparency and the establishment of a dedicated compensation fund for vehicle damages.
Key points
High ethanol concentrations threaten motorists by reducing fuel mileage and damaging comp…: High ethanol concentrations threaten motorists by reducing fuel mileage and damaging components like fuel pumps, injectors, and seals.
Oil marketing companies were criticized for omitting mandatory ethanol blend percentages…: Oil marketing companies were criticized for omitting mandatory ethanol blend percentages from their internal laboratory testing reports.
The state government is demanding the creation of an E20 spoilage fund alongside visible…: The state government is demanding the creation of an E20 spoilage fund alongside visible blend disclosures at retail fuel stations.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
NEW DELHI: The Karnataka government on Friday alleged that petrol supplied by major oil marketing companies (OMCs) in the state contained ethanol well above the prescribed 20% limit, with laboratory tests recording levels of up to 31.2%. It sought action against companies found supplying fuel with excess ethanol.
Food, civil supplies, consumer affairs and legal metrology minister Rizwan Arshad said petrol samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru were tested at Bengaluru-based Shriram Research Institute, which is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories and ISO-certified, news agency PTI reported.
The test results showed ethanol content of 31.2% in Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) petrol and 30.5% in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) samples. Other samples recorded 27% in HPCL petrol, 26.5% in BPCL Speed, 26.1% in Nayara and 25.5% in Shell petrol. Some samples from BPCL, HPCL and IOCL also recorded levels above 20%, while others ranged from 13.5% to 20.6%.
The state government alleged that reports from the in-house laboratories of IOCL and BPCL did not disclose ethanol content,…
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