Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, ecological issues and health threats associated with the nonrenewable fuel sources has caused expedition of alternative sources of energy to the traditional ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that might reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels originated from vegetable oil or animal-fat that could 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 however can be blended with petroleum diesel for use or could be used in its pure kind.

Developed nations particularly 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 less expensive alternative to petrol, diesel and fossil fuels. India has actually likewise begun exploring the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently operating in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol usually) to produce bio-diesel.

The main factor for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the fact that biodiesels are eco-friendly and carbon-neutral, thus having no net effect on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines much like typical petroleum diesel and thus can be utilized with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not require any different facilities for its storage and can be kept similar to the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, rising petroleum costs and the environmental dangers of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has actually taken up initiatives to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and set up more oil processing units. The Government announced its ‘National Biofuel Policy’ on 12 September 2008 which aims to fulfill 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 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 most significant advantage of utilizing Jatropha as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in substantial amounts in wastelands all across India requiring extremely little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a helpful life expectancy of a number of years. The Jatropha seeds contain 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 appropriate for the Jatropha cultivation in the nation. India now

A study approximates that even if a blending effort of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is accomplished in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will produce 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 government is taking steps to encourage the cultivation of Jatropha in India providing totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India requires to now enhance its efforts to make the max usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for drawing out biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil need to also be checked out. It will not just provide a response to the difficulty of Global Warming but could decrease our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.