Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, environmental issues and health hazards connected with the fossil fuels has actually led to expedition of alternative sources of energy to substitute the conventional ones. An appealing technology, still in its infancy, that might reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels originated from grease or animal-fat that could be utilized to run diesel engines. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha and so on can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It includes no petroleum but can be mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or could be used in its pure form.

Developed nations specifically United States and European Countries have currently made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its use across industries and verticals and might become an ideal cleaner and more affordable option to petrol, diesel and fossil fuels. India has likewise started exploring the chances to produce and use bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already operating in the country where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol usually) to produce bio-diesel.

The main reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the reality that biodiesels are sustainable and carbon-neutral, thus having no net influence on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines simply like regular petroleum diesel and thus can be used with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any different facilities for its storage and can be saved similar to the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, rising petroleum costs and the ecological dangers of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has taken up initiatives to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and set up more oil processing systems. The Government revealed its ‘National Biofuel Policy’ on 12 September 2008 which aims to satisfy 20% of India’s diesel need with bio-fuels in the coming years.

Globally, edible vegetable oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are used as the pre-dominant raw products for oil processing and biodiesel production however in India the maximum capacity to produce biodiesels is from Jatropha oil – a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The greatest advantage of using Jatropha as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in big quantities in wastelands all across India needing extremely little water in comparison to other money crops. Once grown, the plant has a helpful life expectancy of numerous decades. The Jatropha seeds consist of 40% oil and are thought about to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land suitable for the Jatropha cultivation in the country. India now

A study estimates that even if a blending effort of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is achieved in 2011-12, India will save around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will produce around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and help in reduction of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The government is taking steps to encourage the cultivation of Jatropha in India offering free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India requires to now strengthen its efforts to make the max use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for drawing out biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil should also be explored. It will not only offer a response to the challenge of Global Warming however could decrease our dependence on foreign oil and add to our own economy.