NAGPUR: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the BJP-led NDA government would make flex fuel engines mandatory for all types of vehicles in six months.
Speaking at the India Federation of Green Energy’s ‘India Green Energy Awards’ in Delhi, the city MP said as flex engines run on more than one fuel, the road transport and highways ministry under him would ask all automobile manufacturers to make and fit them into their vehicles. A detailed notification in this regard would be issued within six months, he said.
“Considering the rising prices of petrol and diesel, alternative fuels are needed. Ethanol, CNG, bio-LNG, and electric are some of the alternatives available. Among these, ethanol is the most affordable and has also been successfully tried in the aviation industry. It’s quite difficult to convince people regarding the new technology, but fortunately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the industry has supported it,” said Gadkari.
“I am also trying to make generators that run on ethanol. Use of ethanol would be a game changer for the country,” he added.
BEST SELLING PRODUCTSThe heavyweight BJP minister from the city said central government is working to reduce petrol and diesel imports to zero from 80% at present. “Use of fossil fuels is more harmful for the environment. If we want to stop the import of crude oil, we need to give more impetus to green energy. The federation officials need to do more research and work in the field of green energy,” he said.
The Union minister said that Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) buses in Mumbai run on Rs115/litre diesel, while ethanol buses tried in Nagpur cost Rs78/litre.
“We would be introducing electric buses in Mumbai and Pune which would cost only Rs40-Rs50/km. In Pune, we are opening three ethanol pumps. Vikram Kirloskar from Toyota Group recently met me in Nagpur when he informed me that they were ready to launch Euro-VI emission compliant flex engines, which can run either on 100% petrol or 100% ethanol. I had also asked managing directors of TVS and Bajaj groups to make two-wheelers which can run on ethanol and they are ready with it. Being transport minister, I would ensure that flex engines are made mandatory,” he said.
While addressing the farmers at Mandwa village in Wardha district on Monday, Gadkari had exhorted them to cultivate sugar cane crop as it has many by-products, including ethanol. “As compared to petrol costing Rs111 a litre and over Rs100 for diesel, ethanol costs just Rs65/litre. We are now opening ethanol pumps in many parts of Nagpur and other cities,” he said.
