New Delhi: India has unveiled plans to blend compressed biogas with natural gas, aiming to bolster domestic demand and reduce reliance on imported natural gas, as outlined in a government statement released on Saturday.
The phased introduction of mandatory blending is set to commence at 1% for use in both automobiles and households starting from April 2025. Subsequently, the government intends to progressively increase the mandatory blending to approximately 5% by the year 2028, reported Reuters.
As one of the globe's prominent importers of oil and gas, India currently imports nearly half of its total gas consumption and is eager to curtail the costs associated with these imports.
In addition to the blending initiative, the government has set targets for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage, aiming to incorporate 1% of SAF in aircraft turbine fuel by 2027, with a subsequent increase to 2% by 2028. Initially, these targets for sustainable aviation fuel will be directed at international flights, as stated in the government's announcement.
These strategic measures align with India's larger objective of achieving net zero emissions by the year 2070.