Cabinet to take call on methanol policy in next 2 months, may allow import

Demand estimated to reach 10 mn tonnes by 2022, as country plans to expand methanol use as a transportation fuel and for cooking

In a major push to the clean energy mission, the Union Cabinet is likely to take up a comprehensive methanol policy within the next two months. The policy is likely to include proposals to import methanol and addresses subsidy-related issues such as the one involving the use of methanol as a cooking gas.

This comes close to the heels of Assam Petrochemicals initiative to start supplying methanol cylinders to 500-odd families on November 5, using methanol cooking stoves. The fuel costs consumers Rs 600 a cylinder, compared to Rs 809.5 for non-subsidised cylinders in the market. Niti Aayog has also