Interview: Anirudh Bhuwalka, Founder & CEO, Blue Energy Motors
Diesel and trucks are synonymous- black soot from exhaust pipes of trucks has possibly touched every Indian. “But we don’t need diesel in long-haul trucking,” says Anirudh Bhuwalka, the founder of Blue Energy Motors, which has been running about 500 LNG trucks across the country over two years. Inan interview with FE’s Vikram Chaudhary, he adds that LNG is a low-hanging fruit that can ‘green’ the trucking industry. Excerpts:
What’s the reason liquefied natural gas (LNG) hasn’t taken off in India, despite it getting popular in Europe and China?
It was a chicken-and-egg situation. Gas companies used to say where is the truck, because if there are LNG trucks in the market only then we will supply LNG. Truck companies used to say where is the gas, because we will make trucks only if there are LNG filling stations. But that is now changing. At the recent Auto Expo, many truck companies showcased their LNG trucks.
We, however, enjoy a first mover advantage in LNG trucks.
But why do we need LNG trucks?
For two-wheelers, city buses and passenger cars, electric is the way to go. CNG is the technology for medium-duty trucks.
But there’s no clarity on how to decarbonise heavy-duty trucking, which constitutes majority of automotive vehicular pollution. India has 4 million trucks that emit over 450 million tonnes of carbon dioxide today. LNG can massively reduce these emissions.
How clean is LNG?
As compared to diesel, LNG trucks emit 30% lesser carbon LNG TRUCKS EMIT 30% lesser carbon dioxide, 76% lesser carbon monoxide, 100% lesser sulphur, 98% lesser particulates and 59% lesser nitrogen oxides.
How many LNG stations are there in India?
There are 13 LNG stations right now, spread on the North-South industrial corridor. Today, you can easily drive an LNG truck from Delhi to Chennai.
We have more than 500 trucks running on roads, having covered 15 million km over two years.
But LNG is only for long-haul trucking, right?
Yes, LNG trucks are best suited fora Delhi-Mumbai kind of route, or any route longer than 500 km. For shorter routes, like Mumbai-Pune or Delhi-Jaipur, CNG can serve the purpose now, and electric in the long term.
