New Delhi:Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will set up 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the next three years and is drawing up plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions from its operations to aid the country’s net zero carbon target by 2070, its chairman said on Wednesday.
IOC, the largest fuel retailer and refiner in India, controls about a third of the country’s 5 million barrels per day (bpd) refining capacity.
Globally, oil and gas majors have announced plans to reduce or eliminate emissions by 2050.
“At all our refineries we are taking steps to make them net zero from the production point of view. We will be making an announcement shortly,” Shrikant Madhav Vaidya said at a press conference.
However, plans to reduce emissions linked to the use of refined products such as gasoline sold at a fuel stations or jet fuel sold to airlines were still a long way off, he said.
The state-run refiner has announced it would use clean electricity from the grid to fuel its capacity expansion. It also plans to use green hydrogen at its Mathura and Panipat refineries.
India’s national hydrogen mission mandates that refiners and fertiliser producers should meet half of their hydrogen needs through green hydrogen by 2030.
Mr Vaidya said India’s net zero aim would not impact his firm’s refining expansion plans as India’s per-capita energy consumption is a third of global average, leaving scope for the use of all kinds of energy including fossil fuels.
Farmers Turn Down Union Minister’s Request For Meeting
Lakhimpur Kheri: Farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri have turned down the olive branch extended to them by Union Minister Ajay Mishra, an accused in the October 3 incident in which four farmers were mowed down.
The minister had called the farmers for a meeting at his residence to address problems related to paddy procurement and also to settle the October 3 violence case in which his son, Ashish, is the main accused.
Ashish is in jail and the case is being investigated by a special investigation team (SIT).
Leaders of the Sikh community held an emergency meeting at a gurdwara and asked farmers of the area to skip the meeting.
Jasbir Singh Virk, president of Bhartiya Sikh Sangathan, said, “We have unanimously decided not to go to his house for the meeting. We have nothing to do with him. He may try to lure our farmers by offering a higher price for their paddy, but he should remember that he cannot compensate for the lives lost in the October 3 incident. If any member of the Sikh community keeps any relationship with Mishra or his family the entire Sikh Samaj will boycott that person.”
The family of Lovepreet, who was killed in the incident, said, “The minister had sent an invitation through his men for a meeting to settle the case and arrive at a compromise. They also offered support in crop procurement but we refused.”
“No action has been taken against the minister yet. We have nothing to do with him and his men,” the farmers said.
A SIT member, meanwhile, said, “We are investigating the case. We have provided security to all the witnesses. If anyone faces any threat or any pressure is being put on him/her, then he/she may give a complaint in writing to us or to the local police. Appropriate action will be taken.”
