Government of India has launched Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative on 1.10.2018 to promote Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) as an alternative, green transport fuel for efficient management of biomass and organic waste includingmunicipal waste as well as from forest and agricultural waste including animal-husbandry and marine waste. This initiative envisages establishment of large number of CBG plants by private entrepreneurs. As part of the SATAT scheme, Oil and Gas Marketing Companies are inviting Expression of Interest (EoI) for procurement of CBG on long term basis. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has included CBG plants in Priority Sector Lending.

The Government has assured supply of domestic gas for CNG (Transport) purpose. Expansion of CGD network throughout the country is a continuous process to ensure adequate availability of cleaner transport fuel like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). In this regard, Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is the authority to grant authorization to the entities for the development of City Gas Distribution (CGD) network in Geographical Areas (GAs) as per PNGRB Act, 2006. So far PNGRB has authorized 232 GAs for across the country up to 10th CGD Bidding Round covering more than 400 districts in the country in 27 States/Union Territories (UTs). There are about 2,543 operational CNG Stations in the country as on 30.11.2020.

Government has notified the ‘National Policy on Biofuels-2018’ on 04 June, 2018. Government is adopting a multi-pronged approach to promote and encourage use of biofules by blending ethanol in petrol through Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme using ethanol derived from multiple feedstock, development of Second Generation (2G) ethanol technologies and its commercialization for augmenting ethanol production and blending biodiesel in diesel through Biodiesel Blending Programme.

Further, a scheme of Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) on October 01,  2018 to promote Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) as an alternative and green transport fuel has also been launched.

This information was given by the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas  Shri Dharmendra Pradhan in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

 

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