Govt taking steps to implement methanol economy

The government is taking steps for implementing methanol economy in India and has constituted five task forces including its production from high ash coal, Parliament was informed Thursday.

"NITI Aayog has set up an apex committee and five task forces under it for carrying out R&D activities and developing road map for implementing methanol economy in India," Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

He said task force on production of methanol using high ash coal is one of them.

"India imported 212.7 million tonnes of crude oil in 2016-17. It is estimated that a 15 per cent methanol blending can result in replacement of around 31.9 million tonnes of crude oil," he said.

With increasing crude oil prices, it can result in significant savings for India, it said.

He said with NITI Aayog intiatives, the Department of Science and Technology has sanctioned R&D projects on demonstration of two plants for production of methanol using high ash coal one at Thermax Ltd, Pune and another at BHEL, Hyderabad and are progressing well.