India’s first Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) fuelled trucks manufactured by Blue Energy Motors have begun commercial operations for JK Lakshmi Cement, one of India’s leading cement companies.
The first fleet of LNG trucks was flagged off from JK Lakshmi Cement’s Sirohi plant in Rajasthan, headed for for the clinker grinding unit at Surat, Gujarat. JK Lakshmi Cement is the first cement company in India to deploy LNG trucks for long-haul transportation of raw materials.
Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO, Blue Energy Motors said: ‘’Sustainability should not be a choice anymore but a compulsory way of life. We are delighted to share our vision of revolutionising India’s green trucking industry with JK Lakshmi Cement. The infra industry is very closely connected to trucks, and such adoptions institute trust and instill confidence that will eventually pave the way towards a carbon-neutral environment. Our trucks have been designed and conceptualised with Indian conditions and climate requirements.”
L-R: Arun Shukla, President & Director JK Lakshmi Cement and Prakhar Saxena, CMO, Blue Energy Motors with an LNG-fuelled BE5528 truck.
Elaborating on the initiative, Arun Shukla, President & Director, JK Lakshmi Cement Limited, said, “Our country is aiming to reduce the carbon intensity of the nation’s economy by less than 45% by the end of the decade, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. JK Lakshmi Cement fully supports this vision. We have taken multiple steps to reduce both direct and indirect carbon emissions. Deploying LNG trucks of Blue Energy Motors is our first step towards sustainable transportation as LNG is an excellent green alternative for fossil fuel.”
The market entry of Blue Energy Motors’ LNG-fueled trucks started with the introduction of the BE5528 tractor as the first model. According to the company. “the trucks have been designed to deliver best-in-class TCO with unmatched reliability and next-generation telematics system for sales and comfortable long-haul drives.”
The BE5528 uses an FPT Industrial multipoint stoichiometric combustion engine to ensure best-in-class fuel consumption and lower noise than diesel engines. Around end-September 2022, FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of the Iveco Group, acquired a minority stake in Blue Energy Motors.
With 280hp power and 1000 Nm torque, it is one of the most powerful natural gas trucks on the Indian market. The BE5528 truck has the industry’s first 990-litre fuel tank which provides the range of up to 1,400km in a single fill. Given this long range, issues pertaining to range anxiety are well taken care of and with the upcoming LNG dispensing network, sufficient coverage across key routes in the country will be available without need of frequent refilling.
The company, which has an installed capacity to produce 10,000 trucks per annum, inaugurated its manufacturing plant at Chakan, Pune on September 2 this year.