GUWAHATI: Ten methanol-run buses provided by the Centre will soon ply on Assam roads as a pilot project under methanol economy in the country.
The Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping and Water Resources, Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday announced that the Central government would provide Assam with ten new buses which would be run on methanol produced by Assam Petrochemicals Limited (APL).
Gadkari made the announcement while chairing a meeting to review the implementation of methanol economy at Transport Bhawan in New Delhi today. Assam Industries and Commerce Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary attended the meeting along with Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Ananth Kumar, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers and Anand Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
The meeting discussed ways and measures to increase the production of methanol in the country and thereby creating a methanol economy as an alternative to high cost petroleum products like diesel and petrol. Presently, Assam Petrochemicals Limited (APL) which is a State PSU, is one of the very few units producing methanol in India.
Minister Gadkari announced that the Ministry of Road Transport, Highways & Shipping would give ten new buses to the Assam Government which would be run by methanol as a pilot project for public transportation for which APL will supply methanol for the new buses.
He further announced that Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) would create petroleum fuel bunks along the River Brahmaputra and the national waterways by which Inland Water Transport (IWT) vessels can operate on methanol supplied by APL.
Minister Patowary strongly supported the extension of methanol production and asked for enhancement of gas allocation for APL. He also requested Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to increase the production of natural gas for Assam with special reference to ONGC.
It is also noteworthy to inform that APL is presently implementing a project for enhancing production of methanol from 125 ton per day to 500 ton per day.