Posts tagged: Methane

To reduce dependence on petrol and diesel in India, the government is continuously promoting alternative fuels. Now such a fuel has emerged which is many times cheaper than diesel and also causes less pollution. According to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Methane can become a big option for trucks, buses, tractors, ships and heavy machines in future. Its biggest feature is that its price is around Rs 20-22 per liter, whereas the price of diesel is more than Rs 100 per liter in many states.

In a recent interview given to Indian Express, Nitin Gadkari told that Assam Petro-Chemicals is producing about 700 tonnes of methanol daily. If this fuel starts being used on a large scale in the coming time, then the fuel expenditure of the transport sector can reduce significantly. Especially truck and bus operators will get the most benefit from this.

Trial has already been successful

Not only are claims being made about methanol, but it has also been successfully tested. In Karnataka, buses were run with 15% methanol-diesel blend for about three months. During this period, there was no technical problem in the engine and the performance of the vehicle was also satisfactory. After this, the country's popular company Ashok Leyland has also prepared dedicated engines running on 100% methanol.

Will be used not only in trucks and buses, but also in these vehicles

The use of methanol will not be limited to just commercial trucks and buses. The government believes that in future it can be used in these areas also, which will reduce diesel consumption and there will be a significant reduction in operating costs. See the list-

• construction equipment
• Tractors and Agricultural Machinery
• harvester
• river and sea vessels
• industrial machines

Ethanol and isobutanol will also become alternatives to diesel

Gadkari said that apart from methanol, iso-butanol made from ethanol is also emerging as a strong alternative to diesel. Kirloskar Group has developed generator sets running on 100% iso-butanol and ethanol. In future, they can be used in agricultural equipment, tractors, harvesters and construction machinery.

How will farmers and the country's economy benefit?

Methane can be produced in the country only. The government is working on a plan to increase its production through bamboo refinery in the north-eastern states. There will be three big benefits from this.

• Farmers will get the opportunity of additional income from bamboo and other raw materials.
• Employment will increase at the local level.
• India's fossil fuel import bill may also reduce.

Better for the environment too

Alternative fuels like methanol, ethanol and iso-butanol produce less pollution than diesel. This is the reason why the government wants to promote them in road transport as well as water transport. If their use starts on a large scale, then India can get many big benefits like cleaner energy, less fuel consumption and energy security.