**Figure 19.**

*Use of diesel fuel by industrial sector in India [23].*

#### **7.2 Conversion of diesel engines to DME**

Annual consumption of diesel fuel in India is more than 100 billion liters [23]. Relative consumption of diesel fuel by different type of vehicles in the transport sector in India is shown in **Figure 17**. In the transport sector, Trucks (HCV/LCV) are the major consumers of diesel fuel (40%) followed by private cars/ SUVs (19%) and Busses/State Transport Undertakings (14%).

Thus, a concentrated effort to convert diesel trucks and busses to use DME as fuel will have a major effect on reduction of GHG in India. Conversion of private diesel vehicles will be difficult as these vehicles are powered by different types and make of diesel engines. **Figure 19** displays the details of the Industrial sector regarding consumption of diesel fuel. In this sector, equipment such as construction, boring, drilling, earth-moving etc. are the largest users of diesel fuel (38%) followed by Industry (29%) and Gensets (24%). It may not be possible to take up conversion of the construction and earth moving equipment diesel engines to operate on DME due to the nature of the work involved or diesel use in furnaces etc., however conversion of gensets to DME can be taken up and will have a positive effect on the GHG emissions and the reduction of use of fossil diesel.

Conversion of diesel engines in the agricultural sector (13% consumption of diesel fuel) to DME will also be beneficial for India in terms of reduction of GHG and diesel fuel. Agriculture equipment like tractors, diesel pumps, agricultural implements, tillers, harvesters, thrashers etc. operate in limited areas and the provision of DME dispensation facilities to cater to the demands of a particular area may be economically feasible.
