Clean Fuel

TKIL in talks with OMCs to manufacture green hydrogen, put up retail infra

TKIL Industries on Tuesday said that it has acquired a stake in Swiss company Sohhytec SA, which will give it access to a technology for producing green hydrogen directly from solar energy. TKIL, formerly known as Thyssenkrupp Industries India, can produce pressurised hydrogen and also set up the infrastructure which will be required to store and fill up vehicles, the company's chief executive Vivek Bhatia said. "We are already in conversations with OMCs (oil marketing companies) and we are giving our first proposals on what a hydrogen based retail facility will look like," Bhatia said. Automobile companies have already created the necessary engines to make it possible for vehicles to run on hydrogen, Bhatia said, pointing to a particular model commercially launched by a Japanese automaker and added that heavy vehicles will also benefit from its usage. Declining to disclose the stake bought in the Swiss company or the money invested for buying exclusive rights for the technology in

Most airlines not switching quickly enough to sustainable jet fuel: Study

A lack of investment by major oil players, who have the capital to build SAF processing facilities, is hampering the market's growth, the study says

CNG sedans gain popularity in India as consumers shift to cleaner fuels

Fresh upgrades in sedans likely to attract entry SUV buyers and pre-owned car buyers

Enforce Odd-Even rule to encourage people to shift to clean fuels, EV: IBA

Indian Biogas Association has suggested enforcement of the odd-even rule for four wheelers in Delhi NCR to check air pollution and encourage people to shift to electric vehicles or those based on compressed biogas (CBG) or natural gas. Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) 4 (with air quality index of over 450) measures, odd/even rule for four wheelers is imposed. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has already imposed GRAP 3 measures with the air quality remaining in the "severe" category. Taking with PTI in an interaction, Indian Biogas Association (IBA) Chairman Gaurav Kedia said, "We recommend implementing the Odd-Even Rule for Petrol and Diesel Vehicles in the coming months so that a good impact can be seen for the air pollution levels in Delhi, and subsidy on EVs and CNG/CBG vehicles, as this will compel the citizens to shift to greener fuel alternatives. The air pollution situation in Delhi NCR worsens every winter, with the seasonal air quality index ...

Hyundai Motors unveils new hydrogen car in bet on clean fuel's future

The vehicle can also be connected to a household's electricity supply to act as a backup source of power, the company said

Better access to water, sanitation but only 63% use clean fuel: Mospi

Goa (99.2%) has the highest share of households with access to clean cooking fuel

EET Fuels secures $650 mn financing facilities for decarbonisation plans

EET Fuels, owner of UK's Stanlow oil refinery, on Thursday said it has secured USD 650 million in financing and trade credit financing facilities for its decarbonisation plans. "This demonstrates market confidence in the company's decarbonisation strategy," the firm said in a statement. Essar Energy Transition (EET) Fuels is setting a new global benchmark for industrial decarbonisation, becoming the first low carbon process refinery as it will reduce emissions by 95 per cent by the close of the decade. Industrial carbon capture and use of blue hydrogen are at the heart of the company's strategy. The facilities secured to support this strategy include USD 150 million from ABN AMRO Bank, extension and upsizing HCOB and UMTB facility to USD 200 million for receivable financing, and a trade credit financing for USD 300 million with an international oil company. The firm did not reveal details such as coupon rate and tenure. "EET Fuels' continuing operational improvement and delivery o

BPCL signs initial pact with Mumbai Port to set up green fuel ecosystem

State-owned BPCL has inked an initial pact with Mumbai Port Authority and Mumbai Port Sustainability Foundation (MPSF) for setting up a green fuel ecosystem at the port. The MoU is a pivotal step towards driving India's transition to cleaner energy solutions. By focusing on green fuel innovations, this initiative aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the country's climate change goals, a BPCL statement said. Additionally, the pact outlines an exploration into the conversion of diesel-powered vessels to cleaner fuel alternatives, further enhancing the port's green infrastructure and reducing its carbon footprint, it said. The agreement was formalised during the launch of the Cruise Bharat Mission by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal at Mumbai Port earlier this week, according to BPCL. As part of the initiative, the two partners will jointly set up EV charging stations at Mumbai Port, promoting green energy adoption f

China adds 9 million tonnes of new fuel export quotas for rest of 2024

China's product export quotas are watched by the industry as they impact supply and refiners' margins in the region

Survey finds half of Mumbai's bakeries using wood, pitches for cleaner fuel

An environmental non-profit has raised concerns over the alarming use of wood as fuel in Mumbai's bakeries, warning that it poses serious health risks to citizens and batting for the adoption of cleaner methods to combat air pollution. The Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) surveyed 200 bakeries across the city over six months and found that about 47 per cent of these establishments rely on wood fuel, primarily scrap sourced from furniture stores, for their operations. This practice releases harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM2.5) into the air, which leads to asthma and other diseases, BEAG has said in a report. PM2.5 refers to fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less. They can enter the lungs and even the bloodstream, making them particularly harmful to human health. As per the study, the Byculla and Mumbai Central areas (E ward) have the highest concentration of bakeries, with 84 establishments, followed by Andheri (K West war

Need framework promoting clean tech that replaces ICE cars: MSI Chairman

Maruti Suzuki India is awaiting a policy framework that promotes all clean technologies resulting in petrol and diesel cars being replaced by vehicles using such eco-friendly technologies, according to its Chairman RC Bhargava. In his address to shareholders in the company's annual report for 2023-24, he said industrial growth requires stability of policies and a predictable work environment. He also expressed hope that in the third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will continue its emphasis on building infrastructure, maintaining fiscal prudence, keeping inflation under control, implementing reforms that make manufacturing more competitive and trusting the private sector. "Some believe that your company has been slow to manufacture electric vehicles. We decided to adopt a more diversified approach to meeting national objectives and did not want to put all our eggs in one basket," Bhargava wrote. He further said the government has also accepted that in India there

Chinese biofuel firms invest in 'green' jet fuel, eye new blending rule

The world's second-largest aviation market, with about 11 per cent of global jet fuel use, China is expected to unveil this year its policy on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use for 2030

Researchers use caffeine, AI as ways to boost EV efficiency, trim costs

In one of many novel discoveries uncovered by scientists in the alternative-energy field, researchers in Japan have found a way to boost efficiency and trim costs. Their secret is caffeine

Bajaj Auto working on CNG bike, to hit road in June: MD Rajiv Bajaj

Bajaj Auto is developing a portfolio of clean fuel CNG motorcycles, and the first such bike will hit the market in June, Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said here on Friday. The bike will run on CNG and would hit the roads in June, he said while announcing Bajaj Group commitment of Rs 5,000 crore towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spent over the next 5 years. The new bike would target mileage-conscious consumers and is expected to launch under a different brand. It is expected that CNG bikes will be priced higher than their petrol counterparts due to the higher cost of manufacturing besides having a special tank to offer petrol and CNG fuel options to offer convenience to customers. Bjaja also said that Pulsar launched 20 years ago will hit 2 million units soon. Meanwhile, the Bajaj Group committed Rs 5,000 crore to social impact initiatives over 5 years, with a focus on skill development, under 'Bajaj Beyond' the Group's new identity for all its CSR and charit

Indian Biogas Association to investment Rs 30K cr for import reduction

Indian Biogas Association has recommended an investment of Rs 30,000 crore for machinery and equipment required for biomass supply to compressed biogas plants to ensure 12 MMTA of LNG import reduction. "Utilising agricultural residues like paddy straw for bioenergy production and soil enrichment instead of burning those offers a dual benefit as it provides renewable energy sources while enhancing soil health," said Indian Biogas Association Chairman Gaurav Kedia. However, he pointed out that there are obstacles to procurement, such as unappealing economics, which makes farmers prefer to burn rather than sell off the field straw promptly. Due to the low density of straw, which increases the expenses associated with its collection, storage, and transportation, he stated, "Improving logistics is not a feasible solution. Government intervention is essential to encourage the adoption of necessary equipment, such as subsidising combine harvesters capable of efficiently gathering ...

India's goal to clean up transport with sustainable aviation fuel

Around the world, more than 360,000 flights have already been powered by SAF

India's green hydrogen aid receives cautious response from investors

India's flagship plan aims to produce 5 million tons annually of green hydrogen, seen as key to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries such as oil refining, fertilizers, steel and shipping

Centre may hike cane-ethanol price by 3% for 2023-24 season, industry says

The 2022-23 ethanol supply year will end on October 31, a month ahead of the earlier schedule. This will align it with the sugar production season

Diesel vehicles will not yet be out totally: Siam president Vinod Aggarwal

Lots of discussions happen between industry and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. For example, now discussions are happening on ethanol blending; and on LNG availability, says Aggarwal

Fuel for thought

Mr Gadkari's statement reflects a valid policy concern