Coal India to retrofit trucks with LNG

Indian state-controlled producer Coal India (CIL) is starting to install LNG kits in its dumper trucks to cut diesel consumption.

CIL has tied up with state-controlled gas distributor Gail and earth moving company BEML to retrofit LNG kits at two 100t dumpers operating at its Mahanadi Coalfields affiliate. The dumpers will operate on LNG and diesel after the retrofit.

CIL uses more than 400,000 kilolitres/yr (7,000 b/d) of diesel in the dumper trucks that transport coal from mines to customers or railheads. CIL has over 2,500 dumpers at its open-cast coal mines, which account for 75pc of the diesel consumed by the company. LNG will eventually replace the use of diesel by as much as 40pc and reduce fuel costs by about 15pc, CIL said.

State-controlled importer Petronet LNG is also focusing on supplying LNG to mining projects that use diesel, its chief executive AK Singh said. It sees potential LNG demand of 1.5mn t/yr from the mining sector.