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Biodiesel Technology Need of the Hour For India
Mitzi Tedeschi edited this page 2025-01-11 18:23:21 -06:00


The non-renewability, ecological issues and health hazards related to the nonrenewable fuel sources has resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the traditional ones. An appealing innovation, still in its infancy, that could reveal us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels stemmed from grease or animal-fat that might be utilized to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, Jatropha and so on can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It consists of no petroleum but can be combined with petroleum diesel for use or might be utilized in its pure form.

Developed countries especially United States and European Countries have actually currently made significant advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have actually found its use across markets and verticals and could emerge as an ideal cleaner and more affordable alternative to fuel, diesel and nonrenewable fuel sources. India has actually also begun checking out the opportunities to produce and use bio-diesel. A variety of plants for biodiesel transesterification are already operating in the nation 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, therefore having no net influence on the environment. Besides, bio-diesel operates in compression engines much like typical petroleum diesel and hence can be utilized with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not require any different facilities for its storage and can be saved similar to the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, increasing petroleum prices and the environmental hazards of nonrenewable fuel sources, the Indian Government has taken up efforts to establish 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 meet 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 used as the pre-dominant basic materials for oil processing and biodiesel production however in India the maximum potential 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 curcas as a basic material is that this plant can be grown in substantial quantities in wastelands all throughout India requiring very little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a useful life-span of several decades. The jatropha curcas 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 suitable for the jatropha curcas growing in the nation. India now

A study approximates that even if a blending effort of 2% Jatropha based Biodiesel is attained in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will create around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and assistance in reduction of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The federal government is taking steps to motivate the growing of jatropha curcas in India supplying totally free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India requires to now reinforce its to make the maximum use of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides Jatropha, the opportunities for drawing out biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil need to also be explored. It will not just offer a response to the challenge of Global Warming but might reduce our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to our own economy.