Delhi’s buses could one day run on hydrogen produced from segregated municipal waste, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday, as he outlined his vision of converting garbage into clean fuel.
Speaking at a youth conclave organized by the BJP in Delhi, Gadkari said municipal waste can be processed through bio-digesters to generate hydrogen, which can then be used to power public transport, news agency PTI reported.
“This (garbage) will be separated and used to produce hydrogen through biodegraders. Buses in Delhi will run on it. All this is possible,” he said as quoted by the agency.
The Union Minister also spoke about future transportation technologies, saying he envisions a time when vehicles will use water to generate hydrogen for operation.
Responding to doubts about this idea, Gadkari said: “People have wondered how this would happen. Has there ever been a time in the last 50 years when something I predicted did not happen?”
Garbage to the highways
Highlighting the use of waste in infrastructure projects, Gadkari said that around 8 million tonnes of garbage from landfill sites in Delhi have already been used in construction of highways. He added that the government aims to eliminate litter across the country by 2027.
The minister also cited the economic benefits of waste management, saying the municipal corporation in his parliamentary constituency earns close to that $325 crore annually by selling treated wastewater.
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Gadkari on E20 petrol
Amid criticism of the mandate for sales of E20 gasoline (20 percent blended with ethanol) and complaints about the low fuel efficiency of vehicles, Gadkari on Tuesday challenged critics to identify a single vehicle that has faced problems due to mixed fuel.
Addressing the ‘Vixit Bharat Conclave’ here, Gadkari also said that India’s dependence on fossil fuels is an economic burden – a huge economic burden. $Rs 22 lakh crore is spent annually on fuel imports – and environmental risks, making adoption of clean energy essential for the nation’s progress.
“There is no case where any car has had problems with E20 gasoline. Has there been any car in the country that has had problems with E20 gasoline? Just name one.”
He said, “…false narratives are being spread about the introduction of gasoline blended with a higher percentage of ethanol. These are paid campaigns.”
India has already achieved a 20 percent blend of ethanol (produced from biomass such as sugarcane, corn or rice) with gasoline to produce cleaner-burning fuel, reducing dependence on imported crude oil and lowering carbon emissions.
(with PTI inputs)
