India's first CNG tractor launched, promises to bring down fuel costs

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday launched country's first-ever diesel tractor converted to CNG here.

"Government is working towards achieving increased income for farmers by lowering costs and creating job opportunities in rural India. The most important benefit for the farmers by this tractor will be to save more than one lakh rupees annually on fuel costs, which will help them to improve their livelihood," Gadkari said in a statement.

The Minister also said, "CNG is a clean fuel, as it has the lowest content of carbon and other pollutants. It is economical as it has zero lead and is non-corrosive, non-dilutive and non-contaminating which helps in increasing the life of the engine and it requires less regular maintenance."

He further added that the tractor is safer as CNG tanks come with a tight seal, which reduces the possibility of explosion while refuelling or in the event of a spill.

"It is also part of Waste to Wealth movement, as stubble (Parali) can be used as a raw material for producing Bio-CNG which will help the farmers to earn more," he said in the statement.

Union Ministers including Dharmendra Pradhan, Parshottam Rupala and General (Retd) Dr V K Singh also present in the programme.

Replying to questions on when CNG-run tractors will be available in India, the Transport Minister said the diesel-converted CNG tractor, done jointly by Rawmatt Techno Solutions and Tomasetto Achille India, is currently an experimental pilot project, and this would happen in due course.

While the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that India is 3rd largest energy consumer in the world but per capita consumption is only one-third of the global average.

"Energy consumption is going to increase in the country and the renewable energy sources will play an important role in this. PNG and CNG supply will reach the 85-90 per cent of the population in a few years," Pradhan said here in the statement.

He also added that an alternative energy model based on clean sources is developing, and this will help in meeting the country's commitment to COP 21 for the reduction in pollution. At least 5,000 CBG plants will be set up under the SATAT programme. There is an estimate that about 600 million metric tonnes of biomass from farms, forests and cities is available.

Conversion of the waste to wealth will not only empower the farmers by providing additional income to them, but also help in reducing pollution, improving health outcomes and making the cities clean. He also assured that a decision will be taken soon for allowing the retail oulets to sell the CBG and 8.5 per cent ethanol blending in petrol has been achieved and soon India will be number one country in ethanol blending, the statement said.