Will methanol be the next alternate fuel? That was what was discussed in a meeting headed by the Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on promotion of bio-fuels and methanol as green fuel.

India is at present importing methanol from Saudi Arabia and Iran. This is a part of India’s move to lower the use of fossil fuels. Gadkari stressed on the need to have indigenous material.

While in most countries it is being made from natural gas, for India it makes much more economic sense to use locally available coal. Indigenous production of methane is very low. Thermax, which has a biomass gasification facility, said that methanol’s commercial application needs to be established. Pilot project for coal to methanol is being done in Talcher, an area in which Thermax is working.

NITI Aayog is working on a roadmap for a conversion to methanol, which can be made from solid waste too. Issues to be finalised are the source from which methanol can be used. Ferry operator Stena Lines said that methanol is a good fuel for waterways and was being used in European countries. Other companies that were present at the meeting included Volvo and L&T.

The meeting was attended by Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, NITI Aayog Member VK Saraswat, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers and Secretaries of Fertilisers, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Petroleum and Natural Gas, New and Renewable Energy, Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, JS (Transport) and CMD of Cochin Shipyard, among others.

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