India To Test Isobutanol-Diesel Blend From Q2 FY2027 – Tata Motors CEO

Diesel is more widely consumed than petrol, largely due to its extensive use in commercial transport and industrial and agricultural sectors

Various steps have been taken by the government in recent years to reduce the country’s oil import bill. It includes electrification, ethanol blending with petrol and stepping up focus on finding new oil sources within the country. The next target is reducing diesel consumption via isobutanol blending. For this, a comprehensive trial is planned to commence in Q2 FY2027.

2% isobutanol diesel blending

Information about the 2% isobutanol diesel blending trials was recently provided by Girish Wagh, MD and CEO of Tata Motors. These trials will commence from the second quarter of FY2027. The government has formed a high-level taskforce for this pilot project, comprising various stakeholders such as OEMs, testing agencies and oil marketing companies. For the trials, Tata Motors will be sourcing the isobutanol blended diesel from Hindustan Petroleum.

Even before these trials commence, tests with isobutanol diesel blending have been ongoing for several years. For context, Bharat Petroleum has been testing this blended fuel since the last two years. One of these tests involved stationary Cummins engines, which were tested for a three month period. Bharat Petroleum will now do a more comprehensive test, covering around 33 different types of vehicles used in the country.

Other entities such as the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research have also been involved in testing isobutanol diesel fuel. Going forward, ARAI will launch a 10 month technical assessment program in association with Praj Industries. The latter is a leading provider of biofuel technology solutions.

ARAI’s core objective for this trial is to find whether isobutanol can work as a seamless diesel blend in real world conditions. By involving multiple stakeholders including commercial vehicle manufacturers and oil marketing companies, the viability of isobutanol for diesel blending can be assessed in a more practical and realistic manner. This approach will help streamline varying perspectives and also identify and fix issues in a timely manner.

Why not just use ethanol diesel blend?

Researchers have tried blending ethanol and diesel, but their varying chemical compositions do not allow a proper blend. Specialized additives can make it work, but these would be expensive and nonrenewable. Standard diesel has an oily consistency, which does not allow it to mix with ethanol. Isobutanol is a four-carbon alcohol and it has characteristics similar to diesel.

Another issue with ethanol diesel blending is the significant difference in the flashpoints of the two fuels. Ethanol has a flashpoint of 12-13 degrees Celsius, whereas diesel’s flashpoint is higher at around 35 degrees Celsius. This difference presents challenges in terms of fire risk and safe storage and transportation. Isobutanol is a closer match with its flashpoint of 27-30 degrees Celsius.

Isobutanol-diesel benefits

In addition to reducing diesel consumption, isobutanol-diesel blending will also help reduce emissions. Existing storage and transportation infrastructure can easily sustain isobutanol-diesel blended fuel without requiring any major modifications. Tests conducted by Praj Industries have found that isobutanol remains stable for over 40 days even at higher concentrations of 10%.

At 2% blending that is being targeted, there are unlikely to be any major issues. Impact on fuel efficiency will also be negligible. Tests with 5% isobutanol have revealed mileage loss of just around 1-2%. This will be even lower with the 2% isobutanol-diesel blend. Vehicle performance is also unlikely to be impacted with a 2% isobutanol-diesel blend.

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