TNT to run fleet on biodiesel

Bangalore-based mail express and logistics provider TNT India, a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based TNT NV, is in the process of implementing biodiesel in its fleet. The company has roped in Sun Biosis Limited as a consultant for the purpose.

Speaking to Business Standard on the sidelines of an expert group discussion on 'Role of vegetable oils as a source of energy for decentralised applications' held here on Monday, M Jayasingh, partner of Sun Biosis, said TNT had initially used five per cent biodiesel blend in four of its trucks on an experimental basis, which started this February.

"We have now increased the biodiesel blend to 10 per cent and are currently running these trucks on the Bangalore-Nashik and Bangalore-Delhi-Kolkata routes. We intend to increase this to 20 per cent and expand to 20 trucks by this month end. Implementation of biodiesel usage across TNT India's entire fleet of 1,600 trucks would be completed in the next one year," he said.

Sun Biosis Limited is currently sourcing biodiesel from Hyderabad-based Southern Online Bio Limited.

Stating that many European companies having their subsidiaries in India were opting for biodiesel due to its environmental-friendly nature and to reduce maintenance costs, he said Volvo Bus Corporation, part of the Volvo Group, too evinced interest in using biodiesel in its four stationary generator sets, three burners and vehicles at its Bangalore bus-building plant.

"We had recently concluded talks with them and would start implementing biodiesel for the company from June 1 this year," he said, adding that the consultancy firm had also received enquiries from Hyderabad-headquartered Transport Corporation of India (TCI), which operates a fleet of around 3,000 trucks.

According to him, the firm was also targeting top-of-the-line IT companies that hire hundreds of vehicles to deliver employees, for similar services. "We have approached Infosys and Wipro and are yet to get a go ahead from them," he said.