Navy showcases bio-diesel run patrol craft at IFR 2016, goes public with green initiative

VISAKHAPATNAM: Showcasing its go green initiative for the first time, the Indian Navy put up its bio diesel powered fast attack craft for display at the international fleet review, with the deft boats maneuvering with ease at fast speed around the President’s yacht, displaying that the alternate fuel has not reduced performance.

“The two Fast Interceptor Crafts are a testimony to Indian Navy’s commitment to adding a green footprint to its operations,” the Navy spokesperson said. Displayed prominently with green bands, the patrol craft are the first alternate fuel powered combatants displayed by the Navy, as was first reported by ET.

The Navy said that the use of alternate fuels as part of its Green Initiatives Programme has been underway for a while in collaboration with the Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER), a DRDO lab based at Haldwani.

The Biodiesel developed by the lab from the Jatropha Curacas plant was blended 20 percent with normal diesel as part of the trial program which is take up the green component progressively.

“The trials have been successfully conducted on vehicles at INS Shivaji, a Diesel Generator onboard a Fuel barge at ND(Mbi), a shore generator at ND(Vzg) and on two Fast Interceptor Crafts at Vizag, over the past one and a half year,” the Navy said.

It added that the performance of equipment with Biodiesel blend is not less than that operating on normal diesel, but with lesser emissions.