Mumbai drops biodiesel plan due to supply concerns

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking, or BEST, which runs the bus network in India’s commercial hub Mumbai, has decided to shelve plans to run its vehicles on biodiesel due to supply disruptions, New Delhi Television Ltd. reported. A few years ago, BEST, which runs more than 3,500 buses in the city daily, embarked on an experiment, and the company took a decision to buy biodiesel in bulk and use the fuel to run its buses. The company conducted the experiment at its Vikhroli depot, where it mixed 10-20% biodiesel with petroleum diesel. BEST found that the biodiesel blend saved energy and reduced exhaust emission, but the company faced a problem in securing regular biodiesel supplies to continue with the experiment. (December 3, 2010)