There is international pressure to phase out the use of tetraethyl lead (TEL) as an octane booster in petrol, based on concern about the environmental and health damage caused by lead. This paper analyses the options for reducing the use of lead in petrol in India. The recommendations are (a) to supply low-octane petrol which does not require TEL in the fuel for the highly popular two-stroke engines and (b) to produce methanol from natural gas which is currently flared and use this as an octane booster in petrol for four-stroke engines. These recommendations reflect the particular vehicle mix and resources available in India.
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