Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan has remotely flagged off the first supply of UCO (Used Cooking Oil) based biodiesel blended diesel under the EoI Scheme from IndianOil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan complimented the oil industry on the stellar role played by them in keeping the fuel lines running despite the stiff challenges of the pandemic. He also lauded the OMCs for going beyond the usual business imperatives by extending support for medical oxygen supply to the nation in this crisis.

Regarding the first supply of UCO-based biodiesel from IndianOil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, Pradhan said, “This is a landmark in India’s pursuance of biofuels and will have a positive impact on the environment. This initiative will garner substantial economic benefits for the nation by shoring up indigenous biodiesel supply, reducing import dependence, and generating rural employment.”

Tarun Kapoor, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said, “With this flag off, a new era of bioenergy has been ushered in that will revolutionize the Indian petroleum sector. Feedstock availability in biodiesel is a challenge, and leveraging UCO can be a major breakthrough that will enable us to reach the target of 5% biodiesel blending. It will also help divert the unhealthy used oil from the food chain to a more productive purpose.”

Chairman IndianOil S. M. Vaidya said, “IndianOil is committed to contributing to this remarkable drive to retrieve the unhealthy Used Cooking Oil and usher in a revolution through “Randhan se Indhan”.  We aspire to trace even the last drop of UCO and ensure its conversion to biodiesel, thereby contributing to a more energy secure, greener and healthier India. This event is yet another significant step towards a Swachh and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

IndianOil has also issued 23 LoIs for biodiesel plants with a total capacity of 22.95 crore Litres (557.57 TPD). Under this initiative, IndianOil has received 51 KL of UCO-biodiesel at its Tikrikalan terminal in Delhi as of 31.3.2021.