The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Friday formulated a draft notification for mass emission standards for bio-diesel (B100) fuelled vehicles. The Ministry has sent the draft to the Ministry of law for vetting.
“These standards have been long awaited by the industry especially those manufacturing bio-diesel. This move will provide alternate source of income to the farmers and the forest dwellers,” said an official release from MoRTH.
The Ministry has also included the standards for test requirements for type approval and extension for four-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles using both B100 and diesel as fuel, or either of the two.
The standards also include the conformity of the production tests and the deterioration factor. Further, the technical specification of the reference fuel B100 has also been formulated.
“This draft is open to wider consultation with all the stakeholders so that vehicles fuelled on bio-diesel (B100) or in all similar blends of bio-diesel with diesel can be manufactured and used in the country,” said an official.
“This is a definite move to promote alternate fuel as large areas of degraded land in the country have a vast potential of producing bio-diesel which can be utilised as a source of fuel for transportation in the country,” he said.
In addition, the Ministry of Shipping is also working on a scheme to promote bio-diesel powered engines in the ports and inland waterways. All this will provide huge impetus to bio-diesel farming in the country.