Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, ecological issues and health threats related to the fossil fuels has actually caused exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the traditional ones. An appealing technology, still in its infancy, that might reveal us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels originated from veggie oil 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 contains no petroleum however can be blended with petroleum diesel for use or could be utilized in its pure type.

Developed nations specifically United States and European Countries have actually already made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually discovered its usage across markets and verticals and might emerge as a perfect cleaner and cheaper option to petrol, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has actually likewise started checking out the chances to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already functioning in the country where veggie oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol generally) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary factor for the increasing need for biodiesels is the truth that biodiesels are sustainable and carbon-neutral, thus having no net influence on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines much like normal petroleum diesel and for this reason can be used with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not require any different facilities for its storage and can be stored just like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, increasing petroleum costs and the environmental threats 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 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 veggie oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are utilized as the pre-dominant raw materials 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 material is that this plant can be grown in big quantities in wastelands all across India needing very little water in comparison to other . Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life-span of a number of decades. The Jatropha seeds contain 40% oil and are thought about to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land ideal for the Jatropha cultivation in the country. India now

A study estimates that even if a blending effort of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is accomplished 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 motivate the cultivation of Jatropha in India supplying free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India requires to now enhance its efforts to make the maximum usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for extracting biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil ought to likewise be checked out. It will not just supply an answer to the difficulty of Global Warming but might decrease our reliance on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.