India now eyes adding biofuel to diesel

Construction equipment could be the first to face mandatory biofuel blending before it is rolled out nationally

- Manas Pimpalkhare & Subhash Narayan

India is preparing to extend its biofuel push to the diesel-guzzling construction equipment sector, with plans to blend biofuels into diesel that powers heavy carriers, cranes, bulldozers, and other large machinery.

Inter-ministerial consultations between the road transport and highways ministry and the heavy industries ministry have been started to operationalize the plan, according to two officials directly aware of the development.

Construction equipment, which consumes 3-4% of the country's annual 91 million tonnes of diesel, could be the first to face mandatory biofuel blending before a nationwide rollout of 10% blended fuel.

So far, India has been blending ethanol into petrol, with the country having already achieved 20% blending.