E20 Fuel Contamination: Carmakers Raise Concerns Over Chloride And Moisture Levels

India's switch to E20 petrol has been accompanied by growing concerns among motorists about its impact on their vehicles. Now, internal discussions involving some of the country's largest carmakers suggest the industry has also been looking closely at another aspect of the rollout, which is the quality of the fuel reaching vehicles.

According to Reuters, executives from Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra had been discussing contamination found in E20 fuel samples, particularly elevated levels of chloride and moisture.

The previously unreported industry findings were based on more than 250 fuel samples collected from pumps over the course of a year, covering as many as 21 of India's 36 states and Union Territories. According to the compiled data, high chloride contamination was found in several samples across 18 states, while excessive moisture was also detected in some cases. The chloride readings varied widely.

Samples from Rajasthan recorded between 6ppm and 570ppm, while those collected in New Delhi ranged from 1.4ppm to 420ppm. In Maharashtra, the recorded range was between 10ppm and 357ppm. For context, the government's permissible limit for chloride is 3ppm.

Maruti Suzuki senior executive Anoop Bhat raised the chloride findings in an internal email, noting that the issue had also been discussed with the Petroleum Ministry. Bhat said current fuel injectors could tolerate a maximum chloride concentration of around 1ppm. He also noted that keeping chloride below 1ppm in E20 would be in line with international standards.

Chloride wasn't the only issue that emerged from the testing. Some samples also contained substantially higher moisture levels than the limit. The industry data recorded moisture levels of as much as 13,000ppm in Andhra Pradesh and 12,500ppm in Uttar Pradesh. The government benchmark is 3,000ppm.

SIAM had previously said high chloride concentrations can cause corrosion of automotive components, while excessive moisture in fuel can, in some cases, immobilise a vehicle soon after it is refuelled.

What remains unclear is where the contaminants are entering the fuel supply. In its subsequently withdrawn letter, SIAM said it had observed an increase in chloride levels following the rollout of E20 and had asked the government to direct oil marketing companies to investigate the root cause. In the case of moisture, SIAM pointed to inadequate maintenance of underground storage tanks and pipelines at retail outlets as one possible explanation.

The internal discussions also included concerns about organic chloride, which Mahindra senior principal engineer of fluids technology R. Ramaprabhu linked to rapid vehicle failures being seen by the industry. Ramaprabhu said organic chloride contamination could damage engines within 200km, and that a majority of cases reported immediately after refuelling could be associated with it.

SIAM's initial communication to the government was sent on July 28, raising concerns about contamination and its possible effects on vehicles. The association subsequently withdrew the letter, saying that some of the numbers needed “further authentication”.

The government's assessment paints a very different picture. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said oil marketing companies had begun rigorous testing of fuel at retail outlets around two weeks before SIAM submitted its letter. According to the minister, those checks identified only four cases of contamination.

State-run fuel retailers have also maintained that extensive random and scientific testing has found no cause for alarm over fuel contamination. That leaves a considerable gap between the findings being discussed within parts of the automobile industry and the results of testing carried out by the fuel companies.

The distinction between E20 itself and contaminated E20 is important here. The internal discussions do not establish that the 20 per cent ethanol blend is inherently damaging vehicles. Instead, they raise questions about whether contaminants such as chloride and moisture are entering the fuel at some stage of storage or distribution.

With E20 now rolled out nationwide and motorists no longer having the option of choosing a lower-ethanol petrol at most pumps, the disagreement over the extent of contamination is likely to keep the focus on fuel quality.

Source: Reuters