KSRTC launches eco-friendly bio-diesel buses

Bengaluru, Oct 3: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) launched a fleet of eco-friendly bio-diesel buses here on Friday.

As many as 10 bio-buses, which will soon start plying across the City, were flagged off by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the Vidhana Soudha premises. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee were also present at the event.

The KSRTC aims to ply 107 such buses, which will run on 20 per cent bio-diesel and 80 per cent petro-diesel (A combination of petroleum oil and diesel). Around 8,200 KSRTC buses are currently operating in Bengaluru and if these buses are run on bio-diesel, the State-run corporation can save Rs 5 per litre, officials say.

Clean fuel, lesser cost

The bio-diesel used is a clean burning renewable fuel made using natural vegetable oils and fats which will significantly reduce the fuel emission. The fuel is made through a chemical process which converts oils and fats of natural origin into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). It can be used as a replacement for petroleum diesel fuel or can be blended with petroleum diesel fuel in any proportion.

While it is environmentally sustainable to use this fuel, it will also encourage farmers to plant vegetable crops and palm trees, along with regular food crops in a multi-cropping pattern. This will provide farmers additional income. They can also utilise barren and waste lands for cultivation and this will help farmers overcome the loss due to irregular rains to a certain extent.

The KSRTC began trials of edible oils such as groundnut, sesame, sunflower, castor oil and non-edible oils such as pongamia, at its engine test bed from July 2003. The corporation adopted a 10 per cent blend made of vegetable oil after testing for fuel efficiency and smoke emission reduction.

In August 2005, the Doddaballapur Depot was officially converted into a bio-fuel depot with a total of 76 buses running with a fuel made of 10 per cent vegetable oil.

The state road transport undertakings in the country are collectively operating about 1.50 lakh buses and provide services to around seven crore passengers everyday, three times higher than the Indian Railways. It is estimated that 300 crore litres of diesel is being consumed every year, with about 35 per cent spent on fuel cost.