New emissions for vehicles in India which came into effect on April 1, 2017 will mean costlier cars and fuel, but will eventually cut cost of health care because of pollution induced health problems will fall. With India enforcing a new generation of vehicular pollution norms from April 1, 2017 called BS IV, it further opens up opportunities for clean fuel vehicle and technology market in Indian Transport System. India has a mature natural gas vehicle industry but it needs shaping to fit better with the modern world. With India heading towards gas based economy and environmental concerns unabated, natural gas vehicles and clean technology come out as clear winners. Although the first –generation CNG program in Delhi & Mumbai yielded benefits, the time is right for the next generation as the environmental debate grabs headline in India. India has entered into a new era of using greenest transportation fuel in automotive sector and plans to double its LNG import capacity in one year to augment gas based transport systems.
“Government wants to promote the LNG as a fuel for vehicles. Efforts are being made to have LNG driven buses in Kerala very soon. Long haul driven vehicles and trains will also adopt LNG as fuel. The LNG handling capacity is being enhanced from 21 Million Metric Tonn to 50 Million Metric Tonn,” said Dharmendra Pradhan, Indian Minister for Oil and Natural Gas. The government is committed to combat climate change and curbing emissions, thus highlighting the need for sustainability and reaffirming that energy efficiency and energy sustainability remained critical pillars of government’s vision. Surely, cleaner and greener biofuels have witnessed a paradigm shift in the recent years. Also, the fast-deteriorating air quality of the Indian cities is pushing the government to move swiftly. And of course, the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal keeping a close watch is helping as well.
While the government continues to push all clean technologies with a sense of purpose, an ecosystem, required to promote large-scale adoption of clean fuels, is sorely missing. The state of automotive LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) in India is a case in point. The third most used fuel globally after petrol and diesel, auto LPG is low cost, much cleaner and can provide a smart energy solution. Messe Frankfurt with its 2 nd edition of NGV India Summit scheduled for August 10-11, 2017, New Delhi intends to create a platform that will provide a good opportunity for industry players, technology and solution providers, infrastructure companies, etc to have meaningful interactions and discussions on the latest development & technological advances and the way forward for Natural Gas vehicle industry in India.
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