For the 1st time in the country, a LNG fueled bus has been launched today by Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan in the presence of Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan at Thiruvananthapuram. It has been a joint effort of Petronet LNG Limited (PLL), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd to introduce LNG as a fuel in commercial vehicles in the state capital. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas plans to use LNG directly for mass transportation and to reduce carbon emissions in the country simultaneously generating savings.
As it is a pilot project, the LNG-driven bus will run on trial basis before it can be certified for commercial application.
Government is also planning to use LNG, which is cheaper than diesel, as a fuel for Railways and long-haul transportation. The KSRTC, which has a fleet of 6,000 buses, has already announced plans to use natural gas.
LNG is an environmentally friendly fuel as compared to any other automotive fuel. Introduction of LNG in transport segment will also help India to meet its COP21 commitment.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has already released draft notification for use of LNG as an automotive fuel. Final notification is expected to be released soon. Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) has formed an expert committee to form regulations for installation of LNG fuel tank and dispensing stations, which is also expected to be released at an early date.
