Oil industry pitches ethanol as clean cooking fuel to cut LPG import dependence
The petroleum sector has urged industry stakeholders to explore ethanol as a clean cooking fuel for households, as part of broader efforts to reduce India’s dependence on imported LPG and expand the biofuel ecosystem.R S Ravi, Director (Downstream) at the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), raised the proposal while addressing the All India Distillers’ Association conference, pointing to ongoing research on ethanol-based cooking stoves, PTI reported.He said that “a lot of work is happening” at institutions such as the LPG Equipment Research Centre and several IITs to design efficient, ethanol-compatible stoves, with prototypes expected to be ready soon.Ravi called on the distillery industry to support the initiative by partnering with manufacturers to scale up stove production and by helping develop an effective supply chain that can deliver ethanol directly to households.“This is a different ballgame. As of now, the way you are supporting the oil industry is by supplying bulk… It needs to change,” he said.“How this supply chain is going to be developed, what form it needs to be delivered, the form factor is very critical.”He further added, “Can AIDA come forward and give us ideas in terms of how we make this ethanol as a cooking fuel possible in India?”The suggestion comes at a time when India has already rolled out 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol. Ravi credited the distillery sector for enabling the programme and referred to a recent government notification mandating the sale of E20 petrol with a minimum Research Octane Number of 95 from April 1, 2026.The move towards higher-octane E20 fuel is expected to improve vehicle performance and efficiency while addressing concerns related to lower-octane blends.Ravi also urged the ethanol industry to speed up production of isobutanol for diesel blending and prepare for ethanol-to-sustainable aviation fuel pathways, though he stressed that the cooking fuel initiative should receive priority attention.Research bodies are already examining ethanol stoves as a cleaner alternative that could complement or partly replace LPG, particularly in rural and semi-urban regions.He noted that shifting ethanol from bulk industrial supply to household distribution would require new logistics models, suitable packaging formats and reliable last-mile delivery systems.India has been aggressively promoting ethanol blending to cut crude oil imports, conserve foreign exchange, reduce emissions and support farmers. Expanding ethanol use to cooking fuel could further diversify demand and strengthen energy security.Ravi emphasised the need for coordinated efforts between the oil industry and distillers to make ethanol-based cooking a viable option in the country.
