EV charging, dispensation of biofuel can begin before start of petrol sale: Govt

New petrol licensing norms in the country allow setting up of EV charging stations and CNG outlets at the pumps even before the start of petrol and diesel sales, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas clarified.

The clarification was made for the ministry's November 8, 2019 notification that eased norms for setting up of petrol pumps by new entities. The order provides for petrol pumps to sell one new generation alternate fuel like CNG, LNG or electric vehicle charging point alongside retailing of petrol and diesel. However, it did not prescribe an order of them being set up.

The ministry informed that the 2019 order however did not prescribe the order in which the dispensation of conventional fuels and the new generation alternate fuels would be started. At the time, it was not made clear that dispensation of bio fuels and CNG or starting of EV charging points can begin before dispensing of petrol and diesel.

As per government's new liberalised petrol pump licensing rule, any entity with a minimum net worth of ₹250 crore can apply for authorisation to retail petrol and diesel. Besides doing away with the earlier requirement of investing ₹2,000 crore in oil and gas sector to be eligible for starting a fuel retailing station, the new rules mandate that the licensees should set up a minimum of 100 outlets with at least 5 per cent of them in remote areas.

Also, the licensee is required to "install facilities for marketing at least one new generation alternate fuels like compressed natural gas (CNG), biofuels, liquefied natural gas, electric vehicle charging points, among others, at their proposed retail outlets within three years of operations.

Currently, most of the 78,751 petrol pumps in the country are owned by state-run oil marketing companies such as Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL).

(with inputs from PTI)