From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Goa, Dec 4: The first bio-diesel fuelling loco attached to bio-diesel powered train no 12080 Hubballi-Bengaluru City Janshatabdi Express was flagged off on Thursday December 3 at platform no 1 of Hubballi Railway Station by Pradeep Kumar Saxena, general manager, South Western Railway in the presence of P A Lamhare, chief mechanical engineer, SWR, S S Soin, chief electrical engineer, P Ganeswara Rao, chief operations manager, SWR, K Harikrishnan, chief personnel officer, Vishal Agarwal, chief commercial manager, Shyamadhar Ram, chief motive power engineer, Swayambhu Arya, deputy chief mechanical engineer (diesel), SWR and other senior railway officials, staff of SWR and officials from Indian Oil Corporation(IOC).

Speaking on the occasion, P K Saxena, general manager, SWR said that bio-diesel blending powered loco consumes lesser diesel rate of 5% in the regular High Speed Diesel(HSD). The locos are filled biodiesel blending oil at Railway Consumer Depot adjacent to platform no 5 of Hubballi Railway Station situated adjacent to Hubballi workshop. He said about 50 diesel locomotives are fuelled daily with 100 kilo litres of HSD at Hubballi Railway Station. These locomotives will hereafter be fuelled with the biodiesel blended fuel. He further stated that biodiesel is an alternative to conventional diesel fuel made from renewable sources such as non-edible vegetable oil. Fuel extracted from plants are being mixed at the rate of 5% with normal high seep diesel. Hence these organic fuel extracts biodiesel, have better lubricity when mixed with normal HSD, this B5 Diesel (5% biodiesel and 95% normal diesel) is reported to provide better engine life, Saxena said.

P K Saxena further said with a concern for cleaner environment without any pollution, Indian Railways decided to promote use of alternative fuels like bio-diesel in a big way for powering our vast fleet over 4000 diesel locomotives. While briefing the advantages of biodiesel, Saxena said that biodiesel produces less toxic pollutants than other petroleum products; it reduces foreign oil dependence; biofuels are produced locally and thousands of people are employed in biofuel production plants. Since biodiesel is produced from crops, an increase in demand for biodiesel leads to increase in demand for suitable biofuel crops. Besides, biodiesel is a renewable energy source unlike other petroleum products that will vanish in years to come. It can be used in existing diesel engines which means that one of the main advantages of using biodiesel is that it can be used in existing diesel engines with little or no modifications at all and can replace fossil fuels to become the most preferred primary transport energy sources, he added.

While talking to media persons on the sidelines, Shyamadhar Ram, chief motive power engineer (CMPE), SWR said, "Biofuel refineries which mainly use vegetable and animal fat into biofuel releases less toxic chemicals, if spilled or released into the environment. Biodegradable and non-toxic fuels are burnt, they produce significantly less carbon output and few pollutants. As compared to petroleum diesel, biodiesel produces less soot (particulate matter), carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and sulphur dioxide. Biodiesel can work as an alternative form of fuel and can reduce our dependence on foreign suppliers of oil as it is produced from domestic energy crops. He said this type of blended bio diesel depots are available in Hubli, Bengaluru and Hosapeta. This type of depots will also be provided at Arsikere and Krishnarajapuram stations in future.