Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), which has one of India’s largest bus fleets, has embarked on an ambitious green-energy programme under which 5,000 of its buses will run on liquified natural gas (LNG). The MSRTC has invited bids this month for companies who can pull off this feat effectively.

A senior official said that the idea is to get certification for 10 different models of existing high-speed diesel buses to be retrofitted with LNG kits. The project includes installation of the equipment and supplying LNG to them along with providing a comprehensive warranty for each lot of buses with at least 50 per depot. A list of 82 depots has been short-listed for the project. “The ten-year project also includes making provisions for and setting up LNG setup supply arrangements at respective locations to be kept ready before deployment of converted buses. An approximate space of 40x40 metres will be made available for building LNG-dispensing stations in bus depots,” he added.