Claims about sugarcane juice directly mixed with petrol, car engine absorbing water because of ethanol “misleading, unsubstantiated”: Petroleum Ministry

The Union Petroleum Ministry has refuted "misleading" and "unsubstantiated" social media claims regarding ethanol-blended petrol. It clarified that ethanol for fuel blending is produced through established industrial processes (fermentation from feedstocks like molasses, broken rice, and maize), not by directly mixing sugarcane juice with petrol. The Ministry also stated that modern vehicles are equipped with safeguards to prevent water entry into fuel tanks, countering claims about ethanol's hygroscopic nature causing engine issues. It emphasized that higher blending levels are implemented only after rigorous technical evaluation and consultation with automobile manufacturers and other stakeholders.