Indian Oil Corporation would begin this month field trials of running buses on biodiesel -- diesel doped with 5 per cent non-edible oils -- IOC Director (R&D) N R Raje said on Wednesday.

"We have successfully run Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express on biodiesel. Now we plan to test biodiesel in automobiles. For this we have identified three depots in Rewari for plying Haryana Roadways buses on the blended fuel," he told a news conference in New Delhi.

About 450 kilo litre of biodiesel would be used in the pilot project.

Mixing of non-edible oil, extracted from Jatropha and Karanjia, would cut India's import dependence. Already petrol blended with 5 per cent ethanol has been introduced in nine states and four union territories. Diesel constitutes 80 per cent of fuel sales and mixing non-edible oil in it would certainly help cut the import dependence.

Raje said vehicle engines will not require any modification for using biodiesel. "Already, the United States, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden are using biodiesel. Besides automobile manufacturers like Mahindra and Mahindra and Ashok Leyland have endorsed biodiesel as fuel for their vehicles."

"Availability of non-edible oilseeds is a major constraint in beginning commercial supplies. The Planning Commission has asked states to grow more of Jatropha and Karanjia on wasteland and semi-rain fed areas. It may not be before 2-3 years that we can start large scale test runs," he said.