Government to facilitate the use of bio-CNG in vehicles

In a bid to promote greener alternate fuels in vehicles, the Government of India has notified rules for the use of bio-CNG. Automobile manufacturers can now produce cars fueled by bio-CNG and can sell them.

The norms for the use of bio-CNG were notified by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry. Under these norms, automakers can test their vehicles running on bio-CNG for exhaust emissions and other tests officially. They can then manufacture, sell and get the vehicles fuelled by bio-CNG in India. The ministry had earlier notified these specifications on test reference fuel for bio-ethanol vehicles. Scania manufactured an ethanol-powered bus recently, which is running in Nagpur as part of the broader initiative.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, said, "Waste can be converted into wealth. Use of clean fuel like ethanol and bio-diesel can reduce carbon-dioxide emission by 95 per cent. We have taken a decision to encourage bio-fuel and alternative fuel. Clean fuel like ethanol and bio-diesel has been high on the Ministry's agenda, given the government's efforts to cut down India's huge annual import bill on petrol, gas and crude." 

It is good to see that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has begun promoting vehicles which are powered by clean fuels like bio-ethanol, bio-CNG, bio-Diesel, electric batteries etc. The new notification from the government, specifying the test requirements for type approval of vehicles, will help manufacturers bring in such bio-fuel powered two, three and four-wheeled vehicles. This will not only help in a cleaner and greener environment, but the government also believes that promoting clean fuel will have also a positive impact on GDP growth as well.

Source: ET