Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, ecological concerns and health dangers related to the fossil fuels has actually resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the conventional ones. A promising technology, still in its infancy, that might show us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from grease 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 combined with petroleum diesel for usage or might be used in its pure kind.

Developed nations particularly United States and European Countries have actually currently made considerable advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have found its usage throughout industries and verticals and could emerge as an ideal cleaner and cheaper alternative to gas, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has actually also started checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already functioning in the country where vegetable oils are responded with alcohols (ethanol or methanol normally) to produce bio-diesel.

The main reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the truth that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, hence having no net impact on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines much like typical petroleum diesel and hence can be used with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not need any different facilities for its storage and can be kept much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the country, increasing petroleum costs and the environmental hazards of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has taken up initiatives to develop 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 aims to meet 20% of India’s diesel demand with bio-fuels in the coming years.

Globally, edible vegetable oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are utilized as the pre-dominant basic materials for oil processing and biodiesel production but 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 huge quantities in wastelands all across India requiring very little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a helpful life-span of a number of years. The Jatropha seeds consist of 40% oil and are thought about to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has recognized 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate for the Jatropha cultivation in the nation. India now

A study estimates that even if a blending initiative of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is achieved in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will produce around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and help in decrease of Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking actions to motivate the cultivation of Jatropha in India offering totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs to now strengthen its efforts to make the fullest usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the avenues for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must also be checked out. It will not just provide a response to the challenge of Global Warming but might decrease our reliance on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.