One for the road: Whisky waste to help develop biofuel for cars
19 August 2010;dailypioneer.com:London:Whisky lovers have another excuse to enjoy a dram — scientists in Scotland have unveiled a biofuel to help power cars developed from the by-products of the distillation process. Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University have developed the biofuel and filed a patent for the product, which they said could be used to fuel ordinary cars without any special adaptations. The biofuel, which has been developed during a two-year research project, uses the two main by-products from the whisky production process. These are “pot ale”, the liquid from the copper stills, and the spent grains called “draff”, as the base to produce butanol which can then be used as fuel. “The new biofuel is made from biological material which has been already generated,” Martin Tangney, who is leading the research said on Tuesday. “Theoretically it could be used entirely on its own but you would have to find a company to distribute it.” He added the most likely way the biofuel would be used was by blending five or 10 per cent of the product with petrol or diesel. “Five or 10 per cent means less oil which would make a big, big difference,” he said. The biofuel “potentially offers new revenue on the back of one of Scotland’s biggest industries,” added Tangney. Richard Dixon, the Scotland director of environmental campaign group WWF, praised the new product, saying unlike other biofuels it could be made without causing “massive environmental damage to forests and wildlife. “Whisky-powered cars could help Scotland avoid having to use those forest-trashing biofuels.”
Used car biz to contribute up to 20% to sales: Merc
18 August 2010;dailypioneer.com:Rakesh Bihari jha:New Delhi: German luxury car maker Mercedes Benz is aggressively concentrating on its used car business as it hopes the segment to contribute 15-20 per cent to the company’s overall sales by 2011. The company doesn’t face any competition in the used luxury car segment currently as its arch rival BMW is still planning to enter the segment. “With our Proven Exclusivity used car programme, the dream of owning a Mercedes-Benz has become even more achievable and I am confident that this segment would contribute 15-20 per cent to our company’s overall sales by 2011,” said Mercedes Benz India MD and CEO Wilfried Aulbur, adding, “as of now used cars are being sold through six authorized dealerships in the four cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad and we have already sold 300 cars.” Mercedes Benz also hopes to sustain double digit growth not only in the rest of 2010, but also expects the same in the next 5 to 10 years as India is growing comparatively very fast. “We had said in the begining of the year that 2010 will be an exciting year for India. Mercedes has already launched 17 models and a few more are still left. As India is growing comparatively fast we hope that we will have strong double digit growth not only in the rest of the year but also in the next five to ten years,” said Aulbur. The company on Tuesday launched a new version of its E-Class priced at Rs 64.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The new car E-Class Cabriolet - a four-seater convertible with soft top is the seventh offering within the E-Class range in the country. “In the January-July period this year, we have had 80 per cent growth in sales. We are well poised to continue to grow in double digits,” Aulbur said, adding, “the company is looking to leverage on the booming market in India.” E-Class Cabriolet is aimed at strengthening the company’s position in India aimed at niche segment of buyers. As per SIAM data, Mercedes Benz has beaten arch rival BMW for the top spot in the Indian luxury car segment with a massive 79.31 per cent jump in sales to a total of 2,921 units in the January-July period as against a total of 2,718 units from BMW.
18 August 2010;timesofindia.indiatimes.com:Pankaj Doval:NEW DELHI: Mercedes Benz is on a roll in India. The company has managed to regain lost ground from BMW in 2010, spurred by new launches. With a massive 79% rise in sales in the first seven months of 2010, Mercedes on Tuesday drove in the cabriolet version of its E-Class — a four seater convertible with soft top — priced at Rs 64.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The company's aggressive stance can be gauged by the fact that it has launched more than a dozen new cars since January this year, including variants of its C, E and S-Class models. "The Indian economy is growing rapidly and so are the aspirations... people want to invest in luxury and cars," said Wilfried Aulbur, MD, Mercedes Benz India. The company launched SLS-AMG sports car last month with a hefty Rs 2 crore price tag and managed to sell ten units despite the steep price. The E-Class cabriolet is another aspirational product and Aulbur said these products go a long way in strengthening the brand. Rival BMW has already launched its 650i convertible in India. Aulbur said demand for luxury cars is expected to remain strong and the market could grow manifold from its current 10,000 units. "The purchasing power of all income groups is going up and will drive the growth in luxury cars. The confidence of the Indian industry has increased, there is growth in real estate and stock market, finance is readily available and the exposure to luxury products is high." The company has been ramping up production to meet demand. It sold 2,921 units in the January-July period against 1,629 units in the same period last year.
18 August 2010;dailypioneer.com:New Delhi:Skoda on Tuesday said it will introduce a small car in the Indian market in early 2012, which will be priced at Rs 3-5 lakh. The company, a part of the Volkswagen Group, will also introduce its sports utility vehicle, Yeti, and a stripped- down version of its premium hatchback, Fabia, in India by the end of this year. In addition, it will launch a sedan with a Rs 6-10 lakh price tag in 2011. “We had announced to roll out one new model every year. As part of this strategy, we will enter the volume segment and will launch a small car in early 2012,” SkodaAuto India Board Member and Director (Sales and Marketing) Thomas Kuehl told reporters. The development of the car is underway and the company will launch the model in both petrol and diesel versions. When asked about the possible price range of the vehicle, he said: “It will be below the Fabia... Our aim is to price in the Rs 3-5 lakh category.”
ONGC, Oil India incur Rs 4,745 cr loss on sale of APM: Govt
17 August 2010;deccanherald.com:New Delhi: State-owned oil firms incurred Rs 4,745 crore annual losses on pre-revised rates, prompting the government to more than double the price of state administered natural gas to USD 4.2 per mmBtu, the Rajya Sahba was informed today. The cost of production of natural gas for national oil companies has risen since the last increase in 2005, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Jitin Prasada said during Question Hour. "ONGC and Oil India incurred Rs 4,745 crore of loss on sale of APM (administered priced) gas," he said. The price was raised from just under USD 2 per million British thermal unit to USD 4.2 per mmBtu to bridge the difference in cost of production and sale price and also to provide level playing field with Reliance Industries, who sell natural gas from its eastern offshore KG-D6 field at USD 4.2 per mmBtu, he said. The hike had necessitated an increase in CNG and piped natural gas price in Delhi and Mumbai. "Following the APM price increase, Indraprastha Gas Ltd, which supplies CNG in and around Delhi, increased its CNG price in Delhi from Rs 21.90 per kg to Rs 27.50 per kg and Mahanagar Gas Ltd, which supplies CNG in and around Mumbai, increased its CNG price from Rs 24.65 per kg to Rs 31.47 per kg," he said. VAT on gas varies from 5 per cent in Delhi to 12.5 per cent in Gujarat to 21 per cent Uttar Pradesh, he said. Prasada said urea manufacturing units have been given top most priority in allocation of natural gas from KG-D6 fields of Reliance. Fertilizer units have been allocated 15.77 million standard cubic meters per day, power plants 32.677 mmscmd and LPG extraction units 3 mmscmd. "Demand for gas is greater than supplies," he said.
As regulatory hurdles loom, Cairn chief lands in Delhi
17 August 2010;hindustantimes.com:Anupama Airy:The $9.6 billion (R45,000 crore) Cairn Energy-Vedanta Resources deal may face regulatory and legal hurdles even as the authorities ruled out the possibility of the deal getting de-railed. "The deal is under the scrutiny of the petroleum ministry and a legal view may be taken from the law ministry," a senior petroleum ministry official told the Hindustan Times. Alongside, the visiting chief executive of Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy Plc, Bill Gammell, is understood to have got a cold shoulder from both the government and ONGC. Bill was in the capital on Tuesday to explain the rationale behind the deal with Vedanta Resources. Bill met Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and Petroleum Secretary S. Sundareshan in the afternoon as also ONGC Chairman and Managing Director R.S. Sharma on Tuesday evening. While the exact details of Bill’s discussions with Deora and Sundareshan were not revealed, petroleum ministry sources said, "Under the production sharing contract (PSC) for the Rajasthan oil block, Cairn is required to inform the government and take regulatory approvals before going ahead." "They (Cairn) have informed the government about this deal after it was publicly announced. We are studying all legal options on the modus operandi followed by Cairn Energy to sell a substantial stake in Cairn India." Both Sundareshan and Deora later said that the "government was evaluating the deal to see that the interests of ONGC are not compromised in any way." On his part, Vedanta Resources head Anil Agarwal, which is buying up to 60 per cent in Cairn India (40-51 per cent from Cairn Energy and rest through a public offer), told HT that he is neither changing the name nor the team that runs the company (Cairn India). "There is nothing to worry. We don’t change the names of the companies we acquire. Whether it was Balco, Hindustan Zinc or Sesa Goa that we acquired, all have retained their names and so will Cairn India". Bill, too, sources said, emphasised before Deora and ONGC that it is only the corporate structure of Cairn India that is undergoing a change. "There will be no change in the running of Cairn India," a source close to Bill Gammell said. The source also said that Cairn Energy did not seek a buyer, but it was Agarwal who in early July called Gammell directly seeking a meeting.
Petrolstop is a division of Car Fuel Info Solutions, LLC Petrolstop.com is a registered trademark owned by Car Fuel info Solutions, LLC Website Design by Onazari Technical Solutions
