SHILLONG: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is ready to launch BSVI, which will set the ultimate standard of clean fuel in the country, in the next three years, said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday.
Addressing a gathering through video-conference after launching BS-IV gasoline and diesel in the State from Bhubaneswar on Saturday, the MoS (independent charge) for petroleum ministry said BSVI will further reduce sulphur content to 10mg/litre.
The launch programme was held at Polo Service Station, Demseiniong.
Dipankar Ray, Executive Director of Indian Oil, in charge of the North East marketing functions, told media persons that it is a historic day for the oil industry.
According to Roy, he informed that the standard in the BSIV has improved as sulphur content of both diesel and Gasoline has been brought down to 50 mg per liter from the earlier standards of 150 mg per liter in gasoline and 350 mg per liter in diesel.
“This (BSIV) has been launched across the country and with this launched the entire country is BSIV complaint,” he said. When asked to elaborate on the need to control emissions, Ray said, “The motor fuels at one point of time, about 10-12 years back, were having 10 mg per liter of the sulphur and sulphur comes out after fuel burns which produces sulphur dioxide.”
“It (Sulphur dioxide) is an environmental unfriendly gas and forms sulphuric acid while it rains. Our endeavor was to reduce the sulphur content and progressively it has been reduced,” he added. “From BSIII to BSIV it took about seven years to come and we have reduced the sulphur content. The Minister has decided that we should leapfrog to BSVI standard in the coming three years then we shall have the sulphur content of 10 mg/liter which is almost negligible quantity of sulphur content,” he added.
Replying to a query on bio-fuel, Ray said, “Bio-fuel is a product where we put ethanol with fuel which is more environmental friendly. Bio-fuel has also started in other parts of the country and North East has not come so far but it will come with the availability of ethanol.”
Informing that Numaligarh refinery is proposing to use bamboo to extract ethanol, he said with more availability of ethanol in the country, bio-fuel can be increased.
Further speaking on BSIV standard of fuel, he said, “There is the Supreme Court verdict that BSIII standard of vehicles will not be registered and sold henceforth, from April 1 onwards but earlier vehicles can continue and they can use same standard of fuel.”
Uttiya Bhattarcharya, general manager of Indian Oil, in charge of retail business in North East, said, “From the oil company side we are fully prepared with BSIV, so we will be giving the high standard fuel.”
“This has been done in three stages, today is the final stage, some of the states has done on April 1, 2015, then in 2016 and today is the last mile where we are concluding that BSIV will be available across the country,” he said.
He informed that in North East, there are 1,300 retail outlets out of which 194 are in Meghalaya. BSIV fuel will be available in these retail outlets .
Bhattarcharya said that the rate of fuels has considerably come down with the introduction of new grade of fuel.
It is learnt that the Oil Industry has invested over the Rs 25,000 crore in refineries across the country.
All the refineries in North east- Bongaigaon, Guwahati, Digboi and Numaligarh, have been equipped with facilities to confirm to producing fuel with higher emission standards.
