1 Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour For India
Aline McHale edited this page 2025-01-11 22:30:50 +01:00


The non-renewability, environmental concerns and health threats related to the nonrenewable fuel sources has resulted in expedition of alternative sources of energy to replace 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 grease or animal-fat that might be used to run diesel engines. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, jatropha curcas etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It includes no petroleum however can be combined with petroleum diesel for use or could be used in its pure type.

Developed nations especially United States and European Countries have actually already made substantial advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually discovered its usage across industries and verticals and might emerge as an ideal cleaner and less expensive option to gas, diesel and fossil fuels. India has actually also started exploring the chances to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently working in the country where veggie oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol usually) to produce bio-diesel.

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

Considering the growing energy demand in the country, rising petroleum prices and the environmental threats of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has used up efforts to establish the Bio Diesel in India and established 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 basic materials 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 biggest advantage of using Jatropha as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in huge amounts in wastelands all across India needing really little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life expectancy of a number of decades. The jatropha curcas seeds include 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 appropriate for the jatropha curcas growing in the country. India now

A research study approximates that even if a mixing effort 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 aid in reduction 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 curcas in India offering free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India requires to now strengthen its efforts to make the maximum usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil ought to likewise be checked out. It will not only offer an answer to the obstacle of Global Warming but could decrease our reliance on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.