Nitin Gadkari, The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways has recently announced that the Indian Government is looking into the policies which permits a blended of 15 percent of methanol in petrol to make the price of the petrol cheaper as well as not harmful for the environment. As methanol is a byproduct of coal so it will require extreme care at the time of execution and emissions produced from it can be high, therefore the original intent of cleaner fuel has rejected.
Gadkari also disclosed that when the methanol produced from coal, it cost around Rs 22 per litre only. However, in China it cost around Rs 17 per litre. Currently, the government is charging Rs 80 per litre on petrol in various states excluding Delhi. High prices of petrol affecting the pocket of common man.
Methanol mixture petrol is being supplied in some states but not widely. The authorities will be communicated with oil refineries about methanol blended fuel production. There are some factories near Mumbai which can also produce Methanol.
The range of methanol in the fuel can lie between 3 to 85 per cent. In respect of running high level of methanol mixture fuel, engines of car will require various updations in gaskets, fuel lines and other several internal parts.
Still there is some time in transforming to BS-VI compliant fuel across the country. To reduce the prices of petrol and curb pollution, the government is planning to come with blended mixture fuel in the short span of time.