Four-Wheeler Diesel Engine Come to an End by 2027 | Energy Transition Panel Statement

The Energy Transition Advisory Committee of India's petroleum ministry has recommended several measures to reduce pollution and increase the use of clean energy in the country. One of the recommendations is to ban the use of diesel four-wheelers in cities with populations of over a million by 2027. This means that people in these cities will no longer be able to use vehicles that run on diesel fuel.

Another recommendation is to increase the share of grid power in the national energy basket to 40% by 2035. This means that more of India's energy needs will be met by electricity generated from the grid, which is expected to be cleaner than other sources of energy like diesel. 

To achieve these goals, the committee has suggested setting up a group of ministers from energy-supplying ministries and a larger committee of secretaries with members from energy-consuming institutions. These committees will work together to create a roadmap that can be adopted by stakeholders.

The committee has also suggested that diesel city buses should not be added in urban areas. Instead, the use of electric and natural gas transportation should be encouraged. This will help reduce pollution and improve air quality in India's cities.

The report emphasizes the importance of collaboration between different government ministries and stakeholders to achieve the recommendations. The proposed committee structure is expected to help orchestrate the creation of the roadmap and ensure its successful implementation.

The Energy Transition Advisory Committee was established with Tarun Kapoor, a former petroleum secretary, as its leader, while executives from state-run oil companies and an oil ministry official served as members. However, when Kapoor became an adviser to the Prime Minister last year, Subhash Kumar, the former chairman of ONGC, took over as the head of the committee and oversaw the completion of the report before submitting it to the petroleum ministry.

In an interview with ET, Subhash Kumar stated that the transition to cleaner energy sources is likely to be disruptive and painful for those who are unprepared. Nonetheless, he stressed that those who plan and prepare for the transition will be in a good position to adjust to the changes and take advantage of new opportunities that arise.