Biodiesel mixed fuel for locomotives

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

In tune with Railways declared policy to save the cost of fuel, a biodiesel blending and dispensing facility has started functioning at the Palakkad railway division.

The facility was launched on Thursday at the railway consumer depot’s (RCD) fuelling point at Palakkad in cooperation with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Here, high speed diesel (HSD) will be mixed with biodiesel up to five per cent and used as fuel for diesel locomotives.

Railways, a bulk purchaser of HSD, pay Rs.48 for a litre while others pay over Rs. 52. However, the cost of a litre of biodiesel is only Rs.39.

The RCD dispenses 20,000 litres of diesel a day for locomotives. The division proposes to blend 5 per cent biodiesel in the initial phase although Railways have given the nod to blend up to 20 per cent.

Facility to be extended

This facility will be extended to the RCDs at Kannur and Mangaluru Junction soon. Divisional railway manager Naresh Lalwani inaugurated the facility in the presence of additional DRM Mohan A. Menon and senior divisional mechanical engineer B. Venugopal.

Suresh A, chief manager, and T. Sampath Narayanan, deputy manager (consumer sales), IOC, were present.

Biodiesel is a renewable, cleaner-burning diesel fuel replacement for any diesel engine, according to Railways.

It is made from a diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, agricultural oil, fatty acids, animal fat, and algae.

Biodiesel can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines without any major modifications.

Railways pay

Rs.48 for a litre of high speed diesel while others pay over Rs.52.