Govt bans petroleum coke import for use as fuel
18th August, 2018Category: Businss and Economy, Environment
Usage of petcoke, a dirtier alternative to coal, in the energy-hungry country has come under scrutiny due to rising pollution levels in major cities. India on Friday has banned the import of petcoke for use as fuel, but said shipments for use as feedstock is allowed for only cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries.
India is the world's biggest consumer of petroleum coke, which is a dark solid carbon material that emits 11 percent more greenhouse gases than coal, according to the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy. India is the world's largest consumer of petcoke which imports over half its annual petcoke consumption of about 27 million tonnes, mainly from the United States. Local producers include Indian Oil Corp, Reliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum Corp.
Many Indian industries are heavily dependent on petcoke imported from the US, even as American companies themselves do not use the dirty fuel, which emits more greenhouse gases than coal.
Read More: The Economic Times, The Hindu Business Line