Coal India starts project to replace diesel with LNG in dumpers
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Coal India Ltd, the country’s biggest coal miner, is retrofitting its diesel-engine trucks used in mines with liquefied natural gas (LNG) kits to cut its carbon footprint and save fuel costs, a government statement said on Wednesday.
India, a signatory to the Paris climate accord, wants to raise the share of gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2030 from the current 6.2%.
Coal India has over 2,500 dumpers running in its opencast coal mines. Use of LNG will cut diesel consumption by 30%-40% and fuel costs by about 15%, the statement said.
The company spends over 35 billion rupees ($479 million) annually using about 400,000 kilolitres (335,600 tonnes) of diesel in the dumpers – big trucks that transport coal in mines, the statement said.
