TERI Conference in India Debates “Perfect Sustainable Fuel”
Finding the perfect sustainable fuel to meet the global demand is a challenge noted the experts at the TERI Conference, held in New Delhi, India.
The conference is focused in part on defining the future of sustainable fuels and providing a basis for policies and strategies to support environmental quality, security of supply and sustainability in the transport sector.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Tata Motors organized the International Conference on ‘Sustainable Fuel for IC Engines in Emerging Nations’. The two-day conference is first in a series of biennial conferences, which will focus on identifying alternative sustainable fuels that can help in controlling Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
The challenges confronting India have ramifications around the world.
Inaugurating the event, Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI, said: “The growth in road transport in India and the massive proliferation of internal combustion engines in the emerging economies of the world requires all round analysis of choices for fuels to be used in the transport sector to ensure environmental protection and sustainability. Air pollution in the cities and highways of India requires a detailed assessment of the current situation and choices that India, as well as other emerging economies, has in setting directions for the future.”
Speaking at the event, Mr Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, said: “Pollution is a big problem for all Indian cities. Second, we are importing petroleum products, coal and gas and we are spending a lot in doing so. Our government is working closely on assessing the reach of biofuels and other sustainable fuels. The first bus using ethanol has been plying in Nagpur for the past three months, and it has been a success till now. We are also in the process of experimenting with biodiesel and bio-CNG.”
It is generally acknowledged that it is necessary to limit GHG equivalent levels to below 450 ppm to avoid global temperatures to rise above 20C. Higher levels will give rise to higher temperatures and potentially catastrophic consequences. To reverse this trend, it is anticipated that overall GHG levels will need to reduce by 80 per cent by 2050.
Category: Fuel and Oil