Amit Shah launches supply of `Special Grade Diesel` for Ladakh via video conference

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched the supply of 'Special Grade Diesel' for Ladakh, to address the problem of loss of fluidity in diesel fuel due to extreme winter conditions in the Union Territory. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP MP from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal were also present during the launch.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s Panipat Refinery has come up with a novel solution to address the problem faced by people in the union territory of Ladakh of loss of fluidity in diesel fuel during extreme winter conditions. Using the normal grade of diesel fuel becomes an arduous task for the people in the winter months where temperatures fall to sub-zero temperatures of nearly – 30°C.

However, the winter-grade diesel produced by Panipat refinery for the first time has a pour point of – 33°C and does not lose its fluidity function even in the extreme winter weather of the region, unlike the normal grade of diesel which becomes exceedingly difficult to utilize. This winter-grade diesel also meets BIS specification of BS-VI grade diesel and has been successfully produced and certified for the first time by Panipat Refinery on November 8, 2019.

"The winter-grade diesel for Ladakh has been developed by the Indian Oil Corporation to address the problem of loss of fuel during extreme winter conditions," said Amit Shah during the launch.

Indian Oil, after several interactions with customers and channel partners in the region, received feedback about the difficulties of using diesel in winter months. The corporation then worked on developing an in-house solution to the problem and undertook the conceptualisation, component stream identification, blend study, tank preparation, hardware modification, quality adjustment of the unit streams, flushing of the associated infrastructure, production, certification of the desired product grade and immediate road supplies to deliver a long-lasting solution to this challenging issue facing the people of UT of Ladakh. 

The first delivery is being effected to the highest altitude retail outlets at Leh and Ladakh.

The first Tank truck containing winter-grade HSD has been flagged off from the Panipat Marketing Complex of Indian Oil. Subsequent supplies of winter-grade diesel would be done from the Jalandhar POL Terminal from where this fuel-grade would reach the Leh and Kargil Depot to meet demands of customers of Leh Ladakh region during peak winters.