India Launches Biofuel-Run Bus Service

On December 5, 2016, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) launched the Aapli bus service, India’s first green bus service, in Nagpur, which includes five buses that will run on ethanol biofuel.  Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, aims for Nagpur to be the first city to have all of its buses powered by biofuel through the addition of new green buses and the conversion of existing diesel-run buses.  During the launch event at Yeshwant Stadium, Gadkari stated the plan was to produce ethanol from molasses, rice, wheat straw, and bamboo using manufacturing facilities in each of the six districts of the Nagpur division.  Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra State, also attended the launch and stated that a similar model for a green bus service would be implemented in other major cities across the state.