Gadkari stresses need to decarbonise Indian transport sector

Addressing virtually at the Sugar and Ethanol Conference, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari said there is a need to decarbonise the transport sector of India as it has the potential to become a torch-bearer in bio-fuels.

He stated that the Indian transport industry has fulfilled 80 per cent of its fuel usage through the import of fossil fuels like petrol, diesel, etc at the cost of over Rs 16 lakh crore per year.

The transport sector is also responsible for 90 per cent of CO2 emissions. The reason being there is an urgent need to decarbonise this sector. The centre is seeking compressed biogas and biofuels to supersede these imports to have pollution-free and cost-effective ways. Policy frameworks to produce biofuels is also encouraged by the government.

He added that the union government is giving a huge push to obtain ethanol as fuel and from damaged food grains like rice, corn and sugarcane.

Gadkari further mentioned that India can witness a completely changed landscape with the efficient use of surplus sugar, rice and maize stock along with the production of second-generation ethanol from bamboo and Agri biomass such as cotton and straw. The union minister urged the sugar industry to convert the surplus sugar output into bio-ethanol.