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The energy crisis is looming globally due to the war in the Middle East. Many countries around the world have seen a direct impact, while others have experienced indirect effects. Amid all this, the Indian armed forces are considering several measures to save LPG and fuel.
In this regard, officials said that as a short-term solution, biogas-based cooking sources are being purchased. Additionally, there is a focus on increasing the use of solar and wind energy on a large scale in the coming times. According to officials, orders for the purchase of biogas stoves from the army are likely to be placed soon. Officials said the step is focused on fuel conservation.
Consideration of these steps
According to reports, to focus on fuel savings, the army is considering limiting administrative movement of convoys to 400 km by vehicle, and trying to use trains for longer journeys. Regarding this entire matter, an army officer said that limited restrictions are being considered on the day-to-day movement of army vehicles. This will not significantly impact operational capability.
According to the officer, this includes pooling vehicles and combining duties such as ration collection, stores, and transport of personnel. He said that wherever possible, CNG or electric civil hire transport will be promoted. It is worth noting that some measures have been implemented in the past, while the process of implementing others is ongoing.
Will operational flights be affected?
Media reports quoted an army officer as saying that these measures will not affect operational flights. However, routine flights will be optimized. Operational flights include reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, emergency relocation of soldiers, and ration-equipment transport. According to reports, currently, 125-135 grams of gas per soldier per day is authorized for cooking. Each army unit has 4 to 6 cookhouses, where 125 to 150 soldiers are served meals daily.
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How much cooking gas is used daily?
The army consumes about 156,000 kilograms of cooking gas daily. Through biogas, 20 percent of this, or about 30,000 kilograms, can be saved per day. Additionally, the army has over two lakh types of vehicles, used for administration, training, operations, maintenance, stores, equipment, transport of soldiers, and rations. This also consumes a huge amount of fuel daily.
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