Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, ecological concerns and health hazards related to the nonrenewable fuel sources has actually led to exploration of alternative sources of energy to replace the conventional ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that could reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels originated from veggie oil or animal-fat that might be utilized to run diesel engines. 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 but can be blended with petroleum diesel for usage or might be utilized in its pure form.

Developed countries specifically United States and European Countries have currently made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its usage throughout markets and verticals and might emerge as an ideal cleaner and cheaper alternative to fuel, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has actually also begun exploring the opportunities to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently working in the country where vegetable oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol typically) to produce bio-diesel.

The main factor for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the fact that biodiesels are sustainable and carbon-neutral, therefore having no net effect on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines similar to typical petroleum diesel and thus can be utilized with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not need any different infrastructure for its storage and can be stored much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy demand in the nation, rising petroleum prices and the environmental hazards of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has actually taken up efforts to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing systems. The Government announced 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 veggie oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are used as the pre-dominant raw products for oil processing and biodiesel production but in India the optimal capacity to produce biodiesels is from Jatropha oil – a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The most significant advantage of using Jatropha as a raw material is that this plant can be grown in huge quantities in wastelands all throughout India needing very little water in contrast to other money crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful life expectancy of numerous decades. The Jatropha seeds include 40% oil and are considered to be an outstanding source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land ideal for the Jatropha growing in the country. India now

A study estimates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is achieved in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will create around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and aid in decrease of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking steps to encourage the growing of Jatropha in India supplying totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs to now reinforce its efforts to make the maximum use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the for extracting biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil need to also be checked out. It will not only provide an answer to the obstacle of Global Warming but could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.