India’s first Euro 6 biogas bus and ethanol buses begin plying in Goa

Scania India has announced operational rollout of the country’s first Euro 6 biogas bus and two ethanol buses in association with Kadamba Transport Corporation, Goa.  The launch makes Goa the second city in India after Nagpur to introduce ethanol-powered buses on its roads. The buses will commence operations from today and will ply on different routes across Goa.

Panaji, Goa, is in the government of India’s 100 Smart Cities list since 2016 and has been making steady progress on improving environmental sustainability within the state. 

Speaking at the launch of the green buses on August 15, ­­­­Derick P Neto, managing director, Kadamba Transport Corporation, said, “Goa has always been known as India’s leading tourist hub. Our beaches, churches, and culture have attracted tourists from across the world. Now is the time to preserve the natural beauty this state is known for, by switching to non-polluting transport solutions. We are excited to partner with Scania Commercial Vehicles, and look forward to working closely with them to transition our beautiful state to a cleaner, greener and better future.”

Led by its philosophy of ‘local waste to local fuel for local transport’, Scania says it will leverage its consortium business model approach, bringing in technology partners who will treat raw biogas to produce biomethane of the right quality to meet the required standards for fueling the biogas bus. 

According to Mikael Benje, managing director of the business unit, Scania Commercial Vehicles India, “It gives us immense pleasure to announce our partnership with the Goa government for the launch of ethanol and biogas buses in Goa. At Scania Commercial Vehicles, we are committed to helping the world switch to cleaner fuels and environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Even as we grapple with the impact of climate change, it is crucial to keep the spotlight on sustainable transport to ensure a better future for the world. India’s commitment to bio fuels is commendable and we are delighted at this opportunity to help yet another Indian state make the transition to green fuel. We look forward to partnering the Goa government in its sustainability initiatives to ensure a long and very green future for the state.”