10 more rail stations to get biofuel facility
New Delhi   17-Dec-2015


A. Lamghare, Chief Mechanical Engineer, South Western Railway, flagging off
the biodiesel-powered Chennai-Mysuru Shatabdi Express at Bengaluru
City Railway Station on Monday;(right) the biodiesel fuelling facility.

In line with the Central policy of adopting biofuel-blended diesel, the South Western Railway (SWR) is planning to extend the blending and storage facilities to 10 more stations in its jurisdiction in the next three to four months.

With expenditure of around Rs. 1,300 crore per year to procure high-speed diesel, the installation of biofuel blending plants will help the SWR save as much as Rs. 3 per litre of diesel at every facility. On Monday, a biofuel blending and storage facility was inaugurated at the city railway station. This takes the total number of stations in the State to three. Besides Hospet, Hubballi and Bengaluru city, there are 10 more points, including Yeshwantpur, Satellite Goods Terminal, Krishnarajpuram and other stations like Castle Rock near Dudhsagar Falls, where SWR wants to set up the facilities.

“Biofuel has many advantages. Carbon emissions are greatly reduced and sulphur dioxide emissions are almost nil. We are in talks with the Indian Oil Corporation regard installing these plants,” said P.A. Lamghare, Chief Mechanical Engineer, SWR.

After having started with a 5 per cent blend of biofuel with high-speed diesel, the next plan is to increase the blend to 10 per cent. This will result in further savings as well as reduction in carbon emissions.

“The Railways is committed to increasing the percentage of biofuel, but we have to gain some experience first,” Mr. Lamghare said.