Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, environmental concerns and health risks associated with the nonrenewable fuel sources has actually resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to replace the conventional ones. An appealing technology, still in its infancy, that might show us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels stemmed from grease or animal-fat that could be used 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 mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or could be used in its pure type.

Developed countries specifically United States and European Countries have actually already made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its usage across industries and verticals and might become an ideal cleaner and more affordable option to fuel, diesel and fossil fuels. India has actually also begun checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are currently functioning in the nation where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol normally) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the reality that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, thus having no net effect on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines simply like normal petroleum diesel and hence can be utilized with little or no engine adjustments. Biodiesel do not need any different facilities for its storage and can be saved simply like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, increasing petroleum costs and the ecological threats of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has actually taken up efforts to establish the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing systems. The Government revealed 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 veggie oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are utilized as the pre-dominant basic 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 using Jatropha as a raw material is that this plant can be grown in huge quantities in wastelands all throughout India requiring extremely little water in comparison to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a helpful lifespan of several decades. The Jatropha seeds include 40% oil and are considered to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has actually identified 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate for the Jatropha growing in the nation. India now

A research study estimates that even if a blending effort of 2% based Biodiesel is attained 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 government is taking actions to motivate the growing of Jatropha in India providing free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India needs to now enhance its efforts to make the max use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for drawing out biodiesel from veggie oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must likewise be checked out. It will not only provide a response to the obstacle of Global Warming but might reduce our reliance on foreign oil and add to our own economy.