New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri on Tuesday said that work was in progress to set up coal-to-Methanol plants across the country using indigenous technology, which is being developed by BHEL (Hyderabad and Trichy), Thermax, and IIT Delhi.

Speaking to the media persons in Guwahati, where he inaugurated the demo-run of the inland water vessel powered by Methanol blended diesel (MD15), the minister further informed that Assam Petrochemical Limited (APL), Namrup currently produces about 100 TPD of Methanol and is implementing a new project for production of 500 TPD of Methanol.

Niti Aayog's 'Methanol Economy' programme is aimed at reducing India's oil import bill, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and converting coal reserves and municipal solid waste into methanol.

Meanwhile the vessel which was flagged off by Puri on the river Brahmaputra in Guwahati, is equipped with two Ruston make diesel engines (each engine of 105 hp). The boat will be run on MD-15 (15 per cent Methanol blended HSD).

Methanol is a low carbon hydrogen carrier fuel produced from high ash coal, agricultural residue, carbon dioxide from thermal power plants and natural gas.