The tractor is converted to run on CNG from diesel and has received government testing facility approval
Talks of a green fuelled tractor has been on for quite some time and this dream is about to be fulfilled. India’s first CNG run tractor is about to be put to the test. It was flagged off by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari while Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Narendra Singh Tomar, Parshottam Rupala and V K Singh. The CNG run tractor has been converted jointly by Rawmatt Techno Solutions and Tomasetto Achille India.
Savings on CNG Run Tractor
Even as the farmers in India are up in arms at the Center over contentious agri-marketing laws, vehicle scrapping issues and the National Green Tribunal order, a CNG powered tractor could come in as a huge benefit to them, both in terms of performance and economics.
This CNG tractor, once officially launched in the country, comes at a time when fuel prices are escalating. It will help the farmer save as much as 50 percent on fuel cost with current diesel prices at Rs.77.73 per liter as against CNG which comes in at Rs.42 per kg.
This would allow the farmer to save upto Rs.1 lakh per annum on fuel costs and will go a long way in helping to improve their livelihood. Besides the saving to the farmer, such tractors will also see a reduction in overall emissions by 70 percent as against those tractors running on diesel.
The tractor is not only economical but also has zero lead. It is non-corrosive, non-dilutive and non-contaminating, playing a major role in extending the life of the engine and will also require less maintenance. Besides working out cheaper to run, CNG prices are less volatile as compared to ever fluctuating petrol and diesel prices while average mileage in the case of CNG vehicles are also higher.
Safety
Safety will also be enhanced as CNG tanks come in with a tight seal leading to less chance of explosion while refilling or in case of a spill. Another advantage is the fact that the retrofitted CNG tractor when put through a test run was found to offers equal or even more power as compared to a diesel run engine.
The ever increasing prices of petrol and diesel has given rise to more acceptance of CNG powered vehicles in the country. At present there are around 3 lakh CNG run vehicles in India and over 12 million such vehicles powered by natural gas across the globe, and the numbers are growing due to better economics and environmental benefits.
A recent report also indicated that the rising prices of petrol will further lead to adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG) driven vehicles in Indi. The price difference between running a petrol powered car versus that running on CNG has widened to 44 percent. The Government of India is also ramping up city gas distribution networks which will further boost CNG consumption.
