GAIL, IGL drive in CNG 2-wheelers

NEW DELHI: State-run gas utility GAIL and Indraprastha Gas Ltd, National Capital Territory's sole supplier of natural gas as automotive fuel, on Thursday launched a pilot project to run two-wheelers - identified as a major source of vehicular pollution -- on CNG (compressed natural gas).
The project was launched by oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan and environment minister Prakash Javadekar.The projects involve 50 two-wheelers retro-fitted with CNG kits. Of these, the first batch of 10 CNG two-wheelers was flagged off by Javadekar and Pradhan at the CGO complex IGL filling station.
"Government is not giving subsidy for CNG-run two wheelers.
These two wheelers would be 40% more economical than the petrol ones. Thus, the consumers will save on fuel cost," Pradhan said.
Javadekar said that the government is fully committed to control pollution in the country, and for this purpose, there will be a jump from Euro-IV type fuel to Euro-VI by 2020.
Pradhan said that the government is pro-actively striving to promote clean fuel in the country and promoting use of gas in the country, thereby providing a better lifestyle to the people and also fulfilling the COP-21 commitments to curb pollution.
The performance of 50 CNG retrofitted two wheelers would be monitored during the pilot phase and the learning from the project would be used to develop the roadmap for introduction of CNG in two wheeler segment across the nation.
As per the idle emission test, hydrocarbon emission from CNG retrofitted two wheelers are 75% lesser and CO emissions are 20% lower than petrol-driven models. The CNG kit for two-wheelers comprises two CNG cylinders and each cylinder can be filled with 1 kg of CNG. Vehicles can travel up to 120 km on a single fill.