Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, environmental issues and health dangers associated with the nonrenewable fuel sources has resulted in expedition of alternative sources of energy to replace the standard ones. A promising technology, still in its infancy, that might reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels stemmed from veggie oil or animal-fat that could be used to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It includes no petroleum however can be mixed with petroleum diesel for use or could be utilized in its pure form.

Developed nations specifically United States and European Countries have already made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have discovered its use throughout markets and verticals and could emerge as a perfect cleaner and more affordable option to gas, diesel and fossil fuels. India has likewise started checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already operating in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol normally) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary factor for the increasing need for biodiesels is the reality that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, hence having no net effect on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines similar to regular petroleum diesel and for this reason can be utilized with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not need any different facilities for its storage and can be kept much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the country, increasing petroleum prices and the environmental risks of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has actually taken up initiatives to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and set up more oil processing units. The Government revealed its ‘National Biofuel Policy’ on 12 September 2008 which intends 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 basic materials for oil processing and biodiesel production but 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 most significant benefit of utilizing Jatropha as a basic material is that this plant can be grown in substantial amounts in wastelands all across India needing very little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a helpful life-span of numerous years. The Jatropha seeds include 40% oil and are considered to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has actually determined 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate for the Jatropha growing in the nation. India now

A study estimates that even if a blending initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is achieved in 2011-12, India will save around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will generate around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and help in decrease 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 supplying free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs to now enhance its efforts to make the max use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil should also be explored. It will not just supply a response to the challenge of Global Warming but might decrease our dependence on foreign oil and add to our own economy.