Simple engineering innovations can be a game changer for construction equipment industry: Gadkari
Congratulating the construction equipment (CE) industry on the initiative for enabling the adoption of bio diesel for construction equipment vehicles (CEVs), Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways urged the industry to innovate and make simple alterations to construction equipment to enhance use of bio diesel blends upto 50% as this could be a game changer for the industry. Speaking at ICEMA’s Bio Diesel Summit, the Minister said, “Consistent efforts in this direction and adoption of global best practices will help the CE industry to not only contribute to reduction of pollution, but also enhance overall demand for construction equipment, both domestic as well as exports.” He also committed to draw up bio-diesel usage standards for construction equipment industry and to accelerate creation of an enabling environment to facilitate operation of bio diesel compliant CEs in India.
With rising global focus on climate and emission reduction commitments and Prime Minister’s vision for India to become a net zero nation by 2070, has given a thrust to the Indian CE industry to explore adoption of alternative fuels like bio-diesel for Construction Equipment Vehicles. To deliberate on the pathways to move towards Bio-diesel adoption, the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (ICEMA) hosted the Bio-Diesel Summit themed “Building India’s Tomorrow: Indian CE industry’s Roadmap for Bio-diesel Adoption”.
Bio-diesel is a front runner alternative for the CE industry in the short and medium term, though its availability is limited due to a slew of challenges, making it important to dive deeper into the existing ecosystem. In this context, ICEMA lauded the Government’s initiatives to encourage generation of biofuels from urban, industrial, and agricultural waste, and their use for fuel and thermal applications in industries and transport.
Reiterating their commitment to become an increasingly greener industry and supporting the government’s endeavours, Dimitrov Krishnan, President ICEMA and Managing Director, Volvo CE India said “On our part, we set ourselves the target of becoming increasingly sustainable and green through the ICEMA Vision Plan 2030, released in 2020. Over the last two years, we have largely transitioned to CEV IV emissions norms and knowing that bio-diesel can help India reduce its dependence on oil imports, we in the CE industry are exploring this alternate fuel in all earnestness”.
V Vivekanand, Vice President, ICEMA and Director, Caterpillar India while thanking the minister for his vision and guidance said that the Bio-Diesel Summit was the beginning of the journey for the Indian CE industry to become greener. Reiterating the CE industry’s commitment to building India’s tomorrow sustainably, he said that exploring bio-diesel adoption is one of the first steps in that direction.
