Gadkari inaugurates India’s 1st LNG station
   Date :12-Jul-2021

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 Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurating India’s first private LNG station -- B-LNG -- on Sunday. Also seen are Suresh Sharma, Pranav Sharma, Pyare Khan and others.
 
 
Business Bureau :
 
BAIDYANATH Group, the trusted 103 year old Ayurvedic brand has launched India’s first private liquefied natural gas (LNG) station -- B-LNG -- (Baidyanath-LNG) at Khasra No 73/1, Pandhurna village, near Oriental Structure Engineering, Outer Ring Road, Nagpur. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the B-LNG station by cutting the ribbon on Sunday. Highlighting the importance of the use of LNG Gadkari said, “Already, we are spending Rs 8 lakh crore on import of petrol, diesel and petroleum products which is a big challenge. LNG has many benefits as it is a cost effective, pollution free and alternate bio-fuel which will lower the country’s carbon footprint and also reduce the dependence on crude oil imports.”
 
He said that the Ministry had formulated a policy in 2009 to allow making of bio-ethanol from molasses. Currently, ethanol is being made from surplus rice, corn and sugar thereby preventing the agri-commodities from going waste. The Minister said that the use of LNG in trucks and buses will provide huge benefit to the transport industry. Current price of diesel is Rs 94 a litre and price of LNG is Rs 61 per kg. Although, the LNG kit is priced at Rs 10 lakh can be recovered in the first year of operations. LNG offers 60 to 65 per cent saving compared to diesel. Talking about flex engines Gadkari said, “Decision will be taken in three months making it mandatory for automobile manufacturers particularly the four-wheelers and two-wheelers to make flex engine. Several countries like USA, Canada and Brazil already have them. The cost of the vehicle remains the same whether it is petrol or Flex engine.”
 
Customers will be able to choose Flex-fuel vehicle which is designed to run on more than one type of fuel like mixture of petrol and ethanol. Gadkari said, “It is my dream to make LNG from bio-mollases.” Pranav Sharma, Managing Director of B-LNG said that the foray into natural gas has been Baidyanath’s long standing dream. B-LNG plans to set up more LNG stations in Vidarbha and convert diesel to LNG trucks and buses in the first phase. Suresh Kumar Sharma, Managing Director of Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan Pvt Ltd, Siddhesh Sharma, Director, Shruti Sharma, Director, V Subarao, Director Project, and Pyare Khan, Transporter were also present on the occasion.