Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour for India

The non-renewability, environmental issues and health risks connected with the nonrenewable fuel sources has actually resulted in expedition of alternative sources of energy to replace the standard ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that could reveal us the way to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from veggie oil or animal-fat that could be used to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It consists of no petroleum but can be combined with petroleum diesel for use 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 discovered its usage throughout industries and verticals and could emerge as a perfect cleaner and less expensive option to gas, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has actually likewise begun exploring the chances to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A number of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already working in the country where veggie oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol usually) to produce bio-diesel.

The main factor for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the reality that biodiesels are eco-friendly and carbon-neutral, therefore having no net effect on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines similar to normal petroleum diesel and thus can be used with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any separate infrastructure for its storage and can be stored much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, increasing petroleum prices and the environmental threats of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has taken up initiatives to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and established more oil processing systems. The Government announced its ‘National Biofuel Policy’ on 12 September 2008 which intends 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 but in India the optimal potential 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 product is that this plant can be grown in huge amounts in wastelands all across India needing very little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial lifespan of several decades. The Jatropha seeds contain 40% oil and are considered to be an exceptional source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has determined 400,000 square kilometres of land appropriate for the Jatropha cultivation in the country. India now

A research study estimates that even if a mixing initiative of 2% Jatropha 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 help in reduction of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking steps to motivate the cultivation of Jatropha in India supplying free seeds, subsidized loans and other centers. India needs to now reinforce its efforts to make the fullest usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil must likewise be checked out. It will not only provide an answer to the difficulty of Global Warming but might decrease our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.