New Delhi: In a major push towards energy security and cleaner transportation, the Centre is likely to introduce a mandate for blending isobutanol with diesel later this year, according to Roads Transport and Highways Secretary V. Umashankar.
Speaking at the CII Multimodal Transportation and Logistics Summit, Umashankar said the government is seriously exploring diesel blending as part of its broader decarbonisation strategy for the transport sector.
He noted that Bharat Petroleum is already conducting strategic research on blending isobutanol with diesel, and the early results have been encouraging.
“Diesel consumption in India is nearly double that of petrol. Therefore, blending in diesel can have an even bigger impact on the country’s energy security compared to petrol blending,” he said.
The official also revealed that the ministry is preparing a draft notification on truck-trailer systems aimed at supporting battery swapping and charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles.
According to him, one of the key ideas under consideration is “tractor-trailer interchangeability,” where instead of swapping batteries, the entire front section of a truck can be replaced while the detachable trailer remains in place. This could help reduce downtime caused by long charging hours for electric trucks.
On hydrogen-based transportation, Umashankar said pilot projects have shown promising results, with operational costs comparable to other logistics systems. However, he added that hydrogen refuelling stations remain the most expensive component and are currently being supported through government funding.
He also highlighted the launch of hydrogen-powered buses operating between Delhi-Faridabad and Delhi-Noida. These buses can travel up to 450 kilometres on a single refill, making them suitable for long-distance transport corridors such as the Delhi-Mumbai expressway.
The Secretary further said that the government plans to roll out the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system across all four-lane and larger toll plazas in the country within the coming year. The system allows vehicles to pass through toll points without stopping or slowing down.
According to him, two MLFF toll plazas are already operational, while a third is expected to become functional within the next few days.
In addition, the ministry is also working on an advanced traffic management system for the Delhi-NCR region, with implementation expected to begin soon after the bidding process.
Umashankar said the government’s long-term focus remains on expanding expressways and access-controlled highways to separate slow-moving and fast-moving traffic, thereby improving average vehicle speeds and reducing congestion on highways.
With inputs from IANS