Nagpur to Run 450 Buses on Biofuel

Union minister Nitin Gadkari also informed that efforts are being made to produce CNG from sewage water

September 5, 2020

thumbnail

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in a webinar, said that India’s public transport is going to be modernized using fuels such as biofuel, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electricity.

The union minister informed that Nagpur has already started the process of running 450 buses on biofuel. As many as 90 buses have already been converted, he added.

Gadkari was addressing the fourth International Association of Public Transport’s India Bus Seminar. In his address, Gadkari noted that state road transport undertakings (SRTUs) are incurring huge costs due to the rising cost of conventional fuels. He added that India needs to reduce its spending on importing crude oil and hydrocarbons. According to the minister, bus services incur losses to the tune of ₹600 million (~$8.1 million) each year, which can be minimized by switching to CNG.

The minister also added that efforts are being made to produce CNG from sewage water. He called upon state transport undertakings to adopt this model to save revenue. Gadkari further said that stakeholders should also focus on adopting other sources of CNG like paddy straw, which have multiple benefits to farmers, transport, environment, and economy.

Last year, it was reported that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the review of guidelines for granting authorization to market transportation fuels. The policy was expected to ease the whole process and provide the necessary push to the companies for doing business and also open doors for the wider adoption of biofuels and other forms of alternative fuels.

In August 2019, the central government released an Expression of Interest floated by big national oil marketing companies like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum, for the procurement of biodiesel made from used cooking oil. He further stressed the fact that the government is working on a four-pronged strategy for promoting ethanol, 2-G ethanol, compressed biogas, and biodiesel.

In a country like India, where its agrarian sector fuels the overall economic growth, biofuels assume great significance in light of the country’s ambitious goals of doubling farmers’ income, import reduction, employment generation, and waste-to-wealth creation. Acknowledging the importance of abundant resources for biofuel in the country, the union cabinet approved the National Policy on Biofuels 2018.

Image credit: By A.Savin (Wikimedia Commons · WikiPhotoSpace) – Own work, FAL

thumbnail

Rahul Nair

RELATED POSTS

Mercom Research Focus
thumbnail
India Installs a Record 2.5 GW of Solar Open Access in 2022, Up 92% YoY

India added 2.5 GW of solar open access in the calendar year (CY) 2022, a year-over-year (YoY) increase of 92% from the 1.3 GW installed in CY 2021, according to the newly released 2022 Q4 & Annual Mercom India Solar Open Acce...

March 15, 2023

Solar

Kerala Issues Empanelment Tender for 100 MW of Solar Projects

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has invited bids to empanel solar developers to set up 100 MW of grid-connected rooftop and ground-mounted projects. Empanelled vendors also must furnish operation and maintenance (O&M...

March 20, 2023

Tenders and Auctions

Gujarat Invites Bids to Procure 500 MW of Wind Power with Greenshoe Option

Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) has invited bids to procure power from 500 MW of grid-connected wind projects (Phase V) with a greenshoe option of an additional capacity of up to 500 MW. The last day to submit the bids online is ...

March 17, 2023

Rooftop

MSMEs Adopt Solar Readily If Savings on Power Bills Cover EMI Cost: Interview

Small businesses are open to adopting rooftop solar if loan repayment is not an additional burden and is equal to their savings on electricity bills. Entities in the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment are increasingly mov...

March 17, 2023

Magazine

DON'T MISS AN ISSUE!

Mercom Cleantech Magazine

Get Your Copy Today!

magazines

Latest News

thumbnail
Maharashtra Approves Tariffs for 8.7 MW of Solar Power Under KUSUM Program

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has adopted tariffs of ₹3.28 (~$0.039)/kWh, ₹3.29 (~$0.039)/kWh, and ₹3.30 (~$0.040)/kWh for the procurement of 8.7 MW of solar power on a long-term basis. The Commission...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
Brookfield to Aquire KKR’s 50% Stake in Renewable Developer X-Elio

Global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) has agreed to sell 50% of its stake in renewable developer X-ELIO to its joint venture partner Brookfield Renewable. Financial details were not disclosed. Since KKR’s...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
NTPC’s Subsidiary Will Develop Renewable Projects for IndianOil Refineries

NTPC Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, NGEL, has entered into a joint venture agreement with Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to develop renewable energy projects that can meet round-the-clock power requirements to meet the...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
Constant Climate-Centric Funding Can Limit Global Temperature Under 1.5°C 

Financial support from developed economies to developing nations which is a critical enabler of climate action has been inadequate, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
India Voices Concern over Europe’s Carbon Tariff Measure at WTO

India has expressed concern about the carbon border measures proposed by the European Union (EU) at a recent meeting of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Committee on Trade and Environment. Presenting a paper on the increasing...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
JSW and Greenko Win Karnataka’s Bid for 1 GW of Pumped Storage Projects

JSW Neo Energy (JSW Energy) and Greenko KA 01 IREP (Greenko) have won the Power Company of Karnataka’s (PCKL) auction to supply 1 GW of energy for 8 hours daily from pumped hydro storage projects providing continuous 5-hour...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
Sterling and Wilson Bags BoS Package Tender for 1.2 GW Solar Projects

Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy, the solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) arm of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, won NTPC’s tender for the balance of system (BOS) package to develop 1.2 GW (4*300 MW) of solar...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
Indian Oil Floats O&M Tender for 8 MW Solar Project in Ahmedabad

Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has invited bids for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of an existing 8 MW solar power project at the LPG bottling plant at Sanand in Ahmedabad for five years. The last date to submit the bids...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
IIT Mandi Creates Low-Cost Method for Solar Cell Metal Oxide Layers

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) have claimed a breakthrough in producing metal oxide layers for use in advanced architecture silicon solar cells using a cost-effective method. This innovative...

March 21, 2023

thumbnail
Government Allows NTPC to Invest Over 30% of Net Worth in its Green Arm

The government has allowed NTPC to invest in its subsidiary, NTPC Green Energy (NGEL), beyond the limit allowed for a ‘maharatna’ central public sector enterprise (CPSE). The extant guidelines prescribe a ceiling of 30% of a...

March 21, 2023

MORE NEWS