India's First Green Methanol Plant to Turn Kutch Invasive Weed into Marine Fuel

📌 Summary:

• India's first green methanol production plant will use Prosopis juliflora (gando baval) — an invasive weed from Kutch's Banni grasslands — as feedstock
• Prosopis juliflora: Mexican-origin invasive shrub, ranked among world's top 100 invasive species; has displaced native grasses over thousands of km in Kutch over decades
• History: introduced by British in 1920s to green Delhi; Gujarat forest department introduced it in 1961 to halt encroaching Rann salt desert
• Green methanol used as marine fuel: replaces conventional "bunker oil" (fossil fuel-based heavy fuel oil) in ocean-going ships
• Green methanol = produced from biomass/renewables; conventional methanol = produced from fossil fuels (gas/coal gasification)
• Government also announced standards for green ammonia and green methanol — part of India's push for cleaner maritime fuels

📚 Prelims Fact:

• Green methanol: produced from biomass/renewables; Prosopis juliflora = top 100 global invasive species; methanol replacing bunker oil in shipping; India set green methanol and green ammonia standards