NEW DELHI: Nearly two decades ago, public buses, autos and taxis in Delhi had to switch to a cleaner fuel — from diesel to CNG — following a Supreme Court order. Once again, it is a direction by the apex court that is going to introduce a better fuel — Hydrogen-enriched CNG (HCNG) — in the capital.
Starting November this year, 50 buses under the cluster scheme will start using HCNG as part of a pilot project. On Thursday, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), which has developed the technology to produce HCNG, and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) laid the foundation stone of a four-tonne-per-day, compact reformer-based production plant at the Rajghat-1 bus depot of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).
Following the apex court directive last July, IOCL and IGL have collaborated to put up this first semi-commercial plant for conducting a study on the use of HCNG in 50 BS-IV-compliant CNG-run buses of Anthony Road Transport Ltd, a cluster scheme concessionaire. The plant, which will be ready by October, will be commissioned in November.
