Tired Of LPG Prices? Pilot Project For Methanol Cooking Gas Launched In Assam To Curb Reliance On Fossil Fuels

In a fillip to cost-effective and green fuels, the Northeast and Assam Petrochemicals, a state-owned company, has decided to launch India’s first Methanol Cooking Fuel Programme. The initiative was launched by Dr V K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, and Chairman, Methanol Apex Committee, at the company's campus in Namrup, Assam, a PIB release has said.

As many as 500 households in the campus will be equipped with the fuel option, and if successful, the programme will be extended to 40,000 households in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Goa and Karnataka. The initiative is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s larger vision of progressive reduction in crude imports.

Assam Petrochemicals has, for the last 30 years, been manufacturing methanol.

The safe handling canister-based cooking stoves are from Swedish technology and through technology transfer, India will get the know-how on its manufacture over the next 18 months.

The cooking medium is said to be an effective alternative to LPG, kerosene, wood and charcoal.