Govt. planning to introduce 15% methanol blend in petrol

The government will soon announce a plan to introduce methanol-blended petrol in India. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways told the media that the government might allow a 15% blend of methanol in petrol. 

Gadkari said that the proposal would be announced in the upcoming session of the Parliament. The move is expected to make petrol cheaper and reduce pollution.

Methanol is a by-product of the coal industry. A litre of methanol costs just Rs. 22, compared to the current cost of petrol, which is around Rs. 80 per litre. Hence, blending petrol with methanol would bring down its cost significantly. In India, chemical factories including Deepak Fertilizers and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) could produce methanol for the petroleum companies.

Volvo will be testing one of its methanol-powered buses on Mumbai’s streets soon. The union minister has proposed to get up to 25 such buses in the city. He has also suggested the petroleum minister to look into ethanol as a substitute for other petroleum products.

Source: TOI