Government of India owned PSU Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has sought approval from the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) of the armed forces to approve winter diesel that is said to be usable at temperatures as low as -30° Celsius.
Why: India’s armed forces may soon be using winter diesel for operations in high altitude areas such as Ladakh, where winter temperatures plummet to extremely low levels. With army movements increasing, the demand for this fuel is expected to increase multifold over 350 tonnes last winter.
What: Winter diesel is a specialised fuel that was introduced by IOCL in 2019 specifically for high altitude regions and low-temperature regions such as Ladakh, where ordinary diesel can become unusable.
How: A major component of diesel is paraffin wax, which improves viscosity and lubrication in the fuel. However, at low temperatures, it may be detrimental to vehicles. Winter diesel contains additives to maintain lower viscosity and can be used in temperatures as low as -30°C and that besides a low pour point, it had higher cetane rating — an indicator is the combustion speed of diesel and compression needed for ignition— and lower sulphur content. It would lead to lower deposits in engines and better performance.
When: On November 19, 2020, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had launched the special fuel for Ladakh soon after the region separated from Jammu and Kashmir on October 31 and became a Union Territory.
(Source: Indian Express and Business Standard)
