23 railway workshops would start using natural gas by Dec 31

Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani on Thursday said that all 23 railway workshops would start using natural gas by December 31, 2018.

He set the dedaline for replacing the use of the conventional fuel to natural gas in rest of the 54 railway workshops, big stations, all the base kitchens of the IRCTC to June 30, 2019.

Lohani's remarks came soon after the Indian Railways signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gas Authority India Limited (GAIL) to replace industrial gases like dissolved acetylene, LPG, BMCG and furnace oil high speed diesel oil with environment-firendly natural gas.

Speaking on the occasion, Lohani said, "It is indeed a good step. All 23 workshops should start using natural gas by December 31 and further by 54 workshops and production units by June 30 next year."

He said GAIL has informed the railways that it will help in reducing about 25 per cent of expenses on the fuel.

"All railway establishments, including base kitchens of IRCTC, all guest houses and hostels and railway divisions should start using natural gas by June 30, 2019," the Chairman Railway Board said.

He also asked the GAIL and Indian Railway Organization for Alternate Fuels (IROAF) to prepare a report on implementation of natural gas in railway workshops by September 30, 2018.

According to the Railway Ministry officials, the use of natural gas has the potential to replace about 844,027 cubic meter of acetylene, 2,354,425 Kg of LPG and 140,991 Kg of BMCG and 5,500 KL of HSD/Furnace oil worth Rs 70 crore per annum.

Replacement by natural gases is likely to result into a saving of about Rs 20 crore per year for the railways.

--IANS

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