India calls for national standard

The Indian government has initiated talks with the petroleum ministry, oil companies and the Automotive Research Institute of India (ARAI) to evolve a national standard for Ener Diesel (ethanol blended diesel), which is currently being used in about 2,200 Karnataka State Road Transport Corp. (KSRTC) buses. KSRTC is currently using 7.7% ethanol blended diesel from the past three years. Y B Ramakrishna, chairman, Taskforce on Biofuels, said there is presently no national standard or certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or the petroleum ministry for use of Ener diesel. “The state had given the go ahead to KSRTC to use it, but to take it to the national level a standard has to be evolved,” he said. (November 16, 2010)